Life Turned Upside Down
by GeminiFaerie
Summary: Harry finds out Dumbles has been paying his relatives to mistreat him; after being violently abused he escapes with the help of Dobby and a magic collar that releases his animagus form, only to find himself at the mercy of Draco Malfoy. DM/HP Slash Abuse
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. 'Nuff Said.

Warnings: Abuse, Slash (MxM), Evil Dumbledore…possibly more later.

Summary: Harry discovers Dumbles has been paying the Dursley's to mistreat him and runs away after being violently abused. Dobby helps him by giving him a magic collar that allows him to access his animagus form, and then takes him to a forest where he states Harry will be safe as long as he stays away from the wizards nearby. Too bad Harry didn't listen, and now he is at the mercy of Draco Malfoy...

Harry's life had been turned upside-down numerous times in his sixteen years. First, there was his first encounter with Voldemort when he was just a year old; he went from a happy home with loving, caring parents to living a life of neglect with his hateful relatives. Then, when he turned eleven his world changed again as he discovered that he was a wizard; it was the happiest day he could remember. His life remained mostly stable for another year, but then in third year things changed once again as he found out that he had a godfather who was wanted for the murder of his parents, only to later discover that his godfather had been framed and was indeed innocent. For a few precious moments he thought his life would be better, but then that traitor Wormtail got away, and his godfather had to go into hiding again. Fourth year brought even more changes with the death of Cedric Diggory and the return of Voldemort, and Fifth year, just a few months ago, he lost Sirius in the ministry. Now, a little over a month before his sixteenth birthday, his world was once again being thrown into turmoil.

He supposed it was his own fault, really; after all, if he hadn't picked that night to sneak downstairs and get his school books while the Dursley's were eating dinner he never would have been in the cupboard under the stairs, which means he would not have heard the knock on the door. If he hadn't heard the knock on the door, he wouldn't have had to hide in said closet, and he never would have heard the conversation that obviously was not meant for his ears; the conversation between his relatives-and Albus Dumbledore, Harry's trusted headmaster, and once he heard the conversation he could never unhear it, no matter how much he wanted to. But when he first hid in the closet he had no idea about this, so when he heard Dumbledore's voice he sat down on his old cot and listened.

"Shh! The boy is upstairs so you'd better be quiet if you don't want him to know you're here," Aunt Petunia snapped, "I suppose you would like the usual status report?"

"Yes please, Petunia, "Dumbledore replied cheerily, "I just need to make sure Harry is being treated in a way that will best benefit everyone. I trust he's still taking care of all the cooking, cleaning, and gardening while he's home?"

"No," Vernon spoke up, "When we picked him up at the station this year we were ambushed by a group of your kind of people, and they threatened us if we didn't leave the miserable freak alone; said they would be checking in on him and we would never even know they were here unless we mistreated him-and according to those freaks regular chores count as abuse-but if we did "abuse" him," the sarcasm was very heavy here, "then the freaks would "punish" us." Harry could just imagine his uncle's red face at this point, and wanted to snicker at the memory of that wonderful meeting.

"I am very disappointed to hear that," Dumbledore said, "I will make sure those that would look in on young Harry are busy elsewhere so that you may resume normal treatment of the boy; we have worked too hard to mold the boy how I need him to be and any deviation from the normal conditioning you put him through every summer could disrupt everything we have done."

Harry couldn't believe his ears; 'Normal treatment?' he thought incredulously, 'Mold him? Normal conditioning? He knew; all along he knew exactly what was going on and not only did he not stop them, but he encouraged it!' Harry lowered his head in shame and disappointment; there was obviously something very wrong with him if even Dumbledore felt that he deserved the treatment he received at his relative's hands. Really, it was bad enough when Ron and Hermione told him that he was making too big of a deal about the way the Dursley's treated him; he could still hear Hermione's exasperated response: "Oh, stop it Harry! I'm sure it can't be that bad; you're aunt and uncle are just doing what that have to in order to make sure you grow up right! They care about you, and are only trying to build character!" And then there was Ron's agreement, "Yeah, come off it Mate! You don't like your relative's; we get it! Grow up already!" Maybe they were right, and Harry had been making a big deal out of nothing...he was drawn out of his thoughts as Petunia spoke again.

"Well, we will put the boy to work immediately," Petunia said, and Harry could hear the satisfaction in her voice, "As soon as you leave I will have him start cleaning the house from top to bottom and he won't get any food or sleep until it is completed to my satisfaction." Dumbledore let out a heavy sigh before replying.

"I'm afraid that won't do the job anymore," he said sadly, "He has had too much time to recuperate; we have worked very hard to make sure he knew his place in...**our **world was different than his place in the mug-er, that is your world. At school he is above average, special even, destined to save the world; here, he is below you, lower than even the poorest beggar on the street. These few weeks at home without you being allowed to reinforce his inferiority to you will no doubt have erased much of the insecurities we have worked hard to cultivate. No, I don't believe giving him simple chores and making him work for his food is going to work anymore."

"Then what do you want us to do?" Vernon demanded, "We can't beat him as we did when he was younger; the second he starts to feel that we have crossed some line his freakishness comes out and protects him!"

"Ah, I can take care of that for you," Dumbledore sounded cheerful again, "I always come prepared, just in case something like this were to occur. Give me just a moment...now where did I put those...?" All was silent for a few minutes, except for the soft rustle of Dumbledore searching for whatever it was he needed, "Ah! Here we go!" There was the sound of clinking glass, and harry recognized it from his time spent in the hospital wing, Dumbledore was giving the Dursley's vials of potion. "Now, each one of these has a different purpose, and they are charmed to never be empty. This one will block his magic from reacting to anything; make sure he gets two drops of it twice a day. I am aware that he has been training physically this year as well, so this potion will cause him to become disoriented, while this one will cause him to lose control of his muscles. This potion will prevent him from being able to tell anyone the full truth of what happens here. And, finally, this potion will heal physical evidence of any beatings you must give Harry, while still letting him feel the pain he needs; this is just in case you have to send him outside or if unexpected visitors stop by." There was a thoughtful pause, then the sound of another bottle being set down. "I realize that you will still need the boy useful even with the punishment he will be given, so this potion will heal anything that is life-threatening, and I believe we have everything covered; do you have any concerns about this?"

"Yes," Vernon said, "Will you be paying us extra for this? It will take a lot more work to get him beaten down properly, not to mention we have to mess with your freaky medicines."

"But of course," Dumbledore chuckled, "Let's see, I currently give you 2500 pounds a month, correct?" There were affirmative noises from the Dursley's, "Well, since this is causing you more trouble, and you have to deal with the...special medicine, I will double that for you; that will be 5000 pounds a month. Now, I only brought the normal payment with me today, so I will send the rest of the money to you tomorrow. These expenses will, of course, come out of Harry's personal expense account as usual, and if you find you need more funds to properly care for him just let me know; you know how to contact me Petunia. Now, have we covered everything?"

"I believe so," Petunia replied, "All of the medicines are labeled and have instructions so we won't mix anything up, the expenses are covered, and you have plans to take care of those busy-bodies from the station. Yes, we have everything necessary so that we can take...appropriate care of the boy for the rest of the summer. Once you are gone we will begin the new...conditioning treatments."

"Excellent, excellent!" Harry could just see that irritating twinkle in the old man's eyes and it made him grit his teeth in anger, "Very well, I believe it is time I took my leave; I will see myself out. Oh, I would recommend waiting an hour or two before you bring Harry down, otherwise he might sense I was here and ruin everything. I will check in again after I send someone to collect Harry for the new school year and settle any additional financial concerns at that time. Until then, have a wonderful summer!" Harry listened as Dumbledore left and then heard his aunt and uncle return to the kitchen; they appeared to be discussing the conversation they just had with Dumbledore, but Harry could no longer make out what they were saying. Harry lay down on the cot-it was awfully cramped now as he was slightly bigger than he was at age eleven-to think over what he had just heard and ponder his next plan of action.

Well, first he had to get away from the Dursley's; that much was abundantly clear. When Harry first started listening in on the conversation he had mostly felt disgust with himself for disappointing his mentor, but the longer he listened the more that self-loathing receded to be replaced with utter contempt for Albus Dumbledore. 'How dare he?' Harry gritted his teeth to prevent an angry growl from escaping, Dumbledore was supposed to be his protector, a friend of his parents, someone he could trust to look out for him. Instead, he found that Albus Dumbledore was a manipulative old man who not only encouraged the Dursley's to mistreat him, but **paid** them to mistreat him-and with Harry's own money! Twenty-five hundred pounds was a lot of money; it translated to...500 Galleons a month; 6000 a year! Not only that, but he was doubling their pay so that the Dursley's would beat him, and he had given them potions to prevent him from fighting back! The last thought is what made him blanche; the thought of a professor giving someone potions to drug a student was...well, it was repulsive and Harry knew he needed to leave **now**. Before he got a chance to do anything, however, the cupboard door was slammed open and Vernon Dursley reached in to grab him with one meaty hand.

"So, spying on us were you?" Vernon sneered, "I'll bet you think you're clever, but I knew you were here this whole time; might want to look around a bit more carefully the next time you decide to sneak around my house-which had better not be anytime soon. Come with me boy; you're about to get what you deserve."

"Let me go!" Harry shouted, struggling against his uncles hold, "You can't do this to me; it's child abuse! Uncle Vernon!" Vernon came to a sudden stop and backhanded Harry across the face hard enough to make him see stars.

"Shut up boy!" He thundered, "You've had it easy until now, but all that is about to change. Sit!" He pushed Harry down onto one of the kitchen chairs and motioned to Petunia to bring the vials over, "Right, first I think we should give him the one to stop him from talking about what happens here." Petunia nodded and held up a vial of green potion; Harry bided his time and waited for Petunia to get closer and then he struck out, kicking the vial from her hands. The vial fell to the ground and shattered into a million pieces, green potion splattering everywhere. "Stupid boy!" Vernon yelled, backhanding Harry again and then slamming his head forward into the table, "You will be cleaning all of this up by hand! But first;" Vernon shoved Harry's chair up to the table so that his chest was pressed against it and he wouldn't be able to kick out any more before pulling the boy's hands behind his back and gripping his hair harshly to force his head back, "Okay Petunia; the blue one that blocks his freak powers now; only two drops, remember." Petunia didn't reply put merely gripped Harry's chin with one hand to force his mouth open and then poured two drops of the blue potion into his mouth. A few seconds later Harry cried out in pain as he felt his magic being locked away from him; it felt like someone had ripped off a limb. The pain passed quickly, and left in its stead a large gaping hole, making Harry feel exposed.

Harry was so focused on the pain that he actually forgot about his relatives until his uncle dumped him out of the chair and Harry fell in the middle of the shards of broken glass. He cried out again as the sharp edges cut into his skin drawing blood, but quickly shut up when Vernon slapped him once again.

"You will pick up every shard of glass by hand, and then you will clean the rest of this mess up," Vernon hissed, "You are not to make a single sound while you do this, is that understood?" Harry nodded mutely, "Good. When you are done here you will come find me in my office for your punishment." Vernon and Petunia then walked out of the kitchen without a backwards glance, leaving Harry behind to clean up the mess on the floor.

Cleaning up the mess in the kitchen took Harry the better part of an hour, and by the end his hands were covered with cuts and scrapes from the broken vial. Once the floor was spotless Harry considered locking himself in his room until the potion wore off-Dumbledore said to administer it twice a day, so that meant it should wear off after twelve hours-but he knew that Vernon would have no problems breaking down the door. He needed access to his magic so he could escape, but he knew it would be a long time before that happened. Scowling, Harry walked to his uncle's study and knocked on the door. When Vernon called for him to enter he did so hesitantly, and it was with even more trepidation that he closed the door behind him. Vernon pointed to a cup of tea in front of him.

"Drink that!" he barked, "I won't have you getting de-hydrated on me."

"Yes Uncle," Harry replied and picked up the cup with his eyes averted; he knew that the tea was spiked-did Vernon really think he was stupid? Now, the question was which potion had he put in the tea, and would Harry be able to just pretend to drink as he had with Umbridge last year. Harry decided he would just have to take a chance, so he closed his lips tightly and pretended to sip the tea. After his third pretend sip Harry let the teacup fall from his hands and spill on the floor. After a few seconds he looked up and saw Vernon's victorious smirk, before his uncle glared at him angrily. "I'm sorry Uncle," Harry said, "I didn't mean to-you drugged the tea! I-I can't-"

"You can't fight me," Vernon said, "Now you'll get what you deserve, and there's no way out of it. The muscle weakening medicine is already working, and I expect the disorienting medicine should also start working soon." Right on cue Harry let his eyes flutter closed and he forced a dazed expression on his face, dropping his chin to rest on his chest. Vernon grabbed him by his hair and threw him on the desk, taking off his belt as he did so, and Harry braced himself for what he knew was coming; once again he would have to wait for the right moment to act or risk ruining everything. He felt the air behind him move and knew that Vernon was pulling back to land his first blow, and when it landed Harry screamed; he had been expecting to feel the harsh bite of leather through his clothes, but nothing could have prepared him to feel the sting of the metal belt buckle instead. Briefly Harry thought that Vernon must be holding the belt at the opposite end from the buckle and wielding it like a whip, but then the next blow came ripping another scream from his throat. The blows began to rain down harder after that, and Vernon didn't pause for even a second between blows. Harry screamed his throat raw and writhed against the desk, but he was in too much pain to really fight and Vernon didn't notice his struggles. It seemed like an eternity that the blows came down, one after the other, ripping his clothes to shreds and leaving his back a raw, bloody mess, but eventually they slowed and then stopped, and Harry could hear his uncle's ragged breathing over his own pitiful whimpers.

"I'm not done yet," Vernon warned, "but it's time for Dudley to go to bed. I'm going to tell my son good night, and when I get back you'd better not have moved, understand?"

"Yes, Uncle Vernon," Harry gasped out, his throat sore from all the screaming. He felt Vernon move away and then heard the door close and knew that he only had a few minutes in which to act. Harry opened his eyes-he hadn't even realized they were closed-and found that the world in front of him was blurry. Very carefully Harry slid himself off the desk, biting down on his lip to stop a whimper of pain from escaping, and crawled on the floor, feeling for his glasses. He finally found them, and felt relieved that he was able to see again. Pulling himself to his knees he looked around his uncle's study and saw that there were five vials lined up on a bookcase across the room. Harry gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet, pushing the pain aside long enough to walk over to the bookcase. Once there he examined the vials and grabbed the one for healing extreme damage; he knew from the injuries he had sustained at Hogwarts that healing potions would normally knock you out if you took a full dose, so he took a small sip which was just enough to make the wounds scab over. If Harry aggravated his back too much he knew the scabs would open, and he still felt incredibly sore, but he felt ten times better than he had before drinking the potion.

Now that the pain was somewhat lessened, Harry had to make a plan, and fast-he could hear Vernon thundering back down the stairs. Without sparing much thought to what he was doing, Harry finished pulling the shreds of fabric off his back and then grabbed a marble bust of William Shakespeare and positioned himself to the side of the door-far enough away that the door wouldn't hit him when opened but close enough that he would be able to act quickly when Vernon came in. Harry's heart began to beat faster as he saw the doorknob turn, then the door was open and Harry was bringing the marble bust down on his uncle's head, hard. Vernon let out a strangled cry and went down, but he was still conscious so Harry hit him again and then drug Vernon's fat body further into the room so he could close and lock the door. Harry eyed his uncle warily as he pondered what to do next; he knew he needed to tie him up, but with what? Harry's shirt was ripped to shreds but the pieces were too small to use...Aha! Harry's eyes lit up with satisfaction as he grabbed a pair of scissors off the desk and then proceeded to cut his uncle's shirt into long strips.

Within a few minutes he had bound Vernon's wrists together and then tied his ankles just to be safe, before gagging the man with Vernon's own belt. With his uncle safely out of the way Harry didn't feel as much pressure to hurry, so he took another sip of the healing draught-he knew that he would probably have to run since his magic was currently blocked- and then picked up all the vials. His uncle had a coat on the rack in the corner so Harry put it on, wincing as the material drug across his wounded back, and then put the potions in the coat pockets. Once that was taken care of he examined the bookshelves in the room and searched through all the drawers and found a box labeled "Freak" which he set aside to take with him and then he decided it was time to leave the study. First though, he needed to write out a letter or two. Harry sat down at his uncle's desk and used his finest stationary and a heavy fountain pen to write four letters; one to the headmaster, one to Ron, one to Hermione, and the last to Voldemort. Harry wasn't entirely sure how the last would get delivered, but Hedwig had never failed him yet, so he assumed she would be able to deliver the letter.

Satisfied that he was done in the study Harry quietly opened the door and saw Petunia sitting on the couch; Harry hesitated a moment because he really didn't want to attack a woman, but he knew he needed to get out as soon as possible. Suddenly, Harry was struck by a brilliant idea; he very quietly peeled the coat off and pulled out one of the potions vials, hiding it in his pants pocket. Then he opened the door again, making sure to make enough noise to alert Petunia. As his aunt turned around Harry lowered his head in submission and bowed his entire body as if he was in pain.

"A-Aunt Petunia, Uncle told me to m-make some tea," Harry stammered, "W-would you l-like a c-cup?"

"Yea," Petunia snapped, "and makes it quick you rotten little freak!" Harry shuffled to the kitchen, but once there he straightened up and put a kettle on to boil. As soon as the water was ready he poured his aunt a cup, added the correct amount of cream and sugar, and then added six drops of potion to the cup. He shuffled back out and handed it to Petunia, and then backed away to watch her drink it. After a few moments Petunia dropped her cup just as Harry had pretended to, and the brunette hastily moved forward to bind his aunt with the strips of table cloth he had prepared while waiting for the tea to boil. Petunia glared at him as he stuffed a piece of cloth into her mouth, but she had no way of fighting him. Harry moved upstairs and paused outside of Dudley's room; should he tie him up too? No, he could hear his cousin snoring, and that meant nothing would wake him up tonight.

Harry entered his bedroom and let Hedwig out of her cage, giving her quiet instructions to deliver the letters; he told her to go to Neville when she was done because Neville was the only one who ever seemed to listen and understand when Harry spoke about his relatives-he jotted a short note to explain everything to Neville and then Hedwig was out the window, disappearing into the night. Once that was done, Harry quickly gathered his wand and invisibility cloak from under the floorboard before heading back downstairs. Once there, he pulled his trunk out of the closet but then frowned; how could he do anything with his magic blocked? All his efforts would be wasted if he didn't leave the house soon! If only he could pop in and out like a house elf! 'Wait a minute,' Harry thought, 'House elf?'

"Dobby!" he called, and a few seconds later the house elf appeared, bowing and eager to help the Great Harry Potter. Normally this would bug Harry, but right now he needed the elf's help. "I have to leave Dobby, but I can't use magic for a while; the Muggles found a potion to block it, can you help me?"

"Yes sir, Harry Potter sir!" Dobby squealed, "I is helping Harry Potter, I is! Dobby is getting the great Dumbledore-"

"No!" Harry interrupted, "Dobby, you can't tell Dumbledore or my friends or...anyone! I need to go somewhere safe while the potion wears off, but I don't want anyone to recognize me; please Dobby-you are the only one I trust right now."

"The great Harry Potter trusts...me?" Dobby whispered in disbelief, his green eyes welling up in tears, "Oh, Dobby is so happy! Dobby can help Harry Potter sir hide until he is better! Dobby just needs to get something!" Dobby popped out, leaving Harry startled and a little uneasy as he didn't know where the little house elf had gone, but Dobby returned after only a few moments, holding a black leather collar in his hands.

"What is that?" Harry asked, and Dobby grinned.

"It is a magic collar," he said excitedly, "The collar allows you to become your animagus form even if you never learned how to; it will keep you in that form until you are able to use your magic again. Dobby can take Harry Potter to a safe place once he is transformed!"

"That's brilliant!" Harry smiled, "But what about my stuff? I won't need anything of my things while I'm in animal form, but I can't leave them here."

"Dobby can shrink them and turn them into a charm until Harry Potter needs them," Dobby offered, "Does Harry Potter want to use the collar?" Harry was silent for a moment as he thought about it. He didn't really want to transform into his animagus form as he didn't know what it was-what if he turned out to be a helpless bunny or something?-but he didn't have any other options, so he sighed and nodded.

"Okay," he agreed, "I'll use the collar; how does it work?"

"Harry Potter puts the collar on and transforms," Dobby said, "and when nasty potion is out of Harry Potter's system he will be able to change back. Dobby will take Harry Potter somewhere safe, and will check on Harry Potter in two days if he hasn't called for Dobby by then."

"Sounds good," Harry nodded, "Okay, can you go ahead and shrink my trunk? And after I transform I want a mirror, so I can see what I look like." Dobby agreed and quickly shrunk Harry's belongings, turning them into a charm that was attached to the collar. Taking a deep breath Harry thanked Dobby for his help and then fastened the collar around his neck. For a few seconds nothing happened, then Harry felt a tingling sensation throughout his body, followed by a painful twisting sensation that made him close his eyes and cry out in pain; the pain was worse than the polyjuice potion he had taken back in second year, and he honestly thought he was about to black out when the pain finally began to recede before vanishing completely.

Hearing Dobby gasp Harry opened his eyes and lifted his head slowly; looking down he noticed that he was a largish-type animal, with four legs and a tail that lashed out behind him. Dobby snapped, causing a mirror to appear, and Harry stared at his appearance, very pleased with what he saw. His animagus form was a large, black cat and he still had the same emerald eyes and-he noticed with disgust-a small white marking in the shape of a lightning bolt; at first Harry thought he was a panther, but on closer inspection he saw that, barely visible against his already black fur were even darker black stripes.

"Harry Potter sir is a tiger," Dobby said excitedly, "They is being very rare-Harry Potter is even more powerful than Dobby thought! Dobby is proud to serve Harry Potter!" Harry tilted his head, eying the elf curiously, but as he was unable to ask the questions swimming through his mind he butted Dobby with his head and walked to the door-or attempted to anyway; it took him some time to coordinate walking on for legs, but once he realized his tail played a big part in helping him balance it got easier.

When he saw that Harry was comfortable in his animal form, Dobby placed a hand on his collar and apparated them to a forest.

"This place is far away from the bad people who hurt Harry Potter," Dobby informed him, "Harry Potter is being careful; there be wizards close by, but they not be looking for Harry Potter so Harry Potter is being safe." Harry butted his head against Dobby in thanks and then leapt into the nearest tree, quickly leaving the small house elf behind.

Once he felt like he was far enough away from the spot where he and Dobby had entered the forest, Harry slowed down and began looking for a suitable place to spend the night. His feline senses were able to detect other predators in the forest so Harry figured that his best bet would be to find a tall tree with sturdy branches. As Harry stalked through the trees he noticed that the pain in his back was slowly increasing and he realized that the potion must only offer temporary relief; either that or the potion didn't work on his animagus form.

As he pondered this, Harry slowly became aware of the sound of running water and followed it to a stream; after verifying that there was no immediate danger by the stream the black panther crouched down to drink, keeping his senses open. Nearby Harry heard the sound of another animal, and determined that it was probably a deer; he was disturbed to realize that he was hungry, and the predatory instincts of his current form were making it hard for him to resist chasing after the animal and turning it into supper. Instead, Harry drank as much water as he could and then climbed a nearby oak tree which he decided would make a good place to sleep. He climbed up to the highest branches and surveyed the land below him; there didn't seem to be much in the way of human habitation, but to the north of him Harry saw a large manor with what appeared to be albino turkeys in the front yard. The house was far enough away that Harry felt safe and yet close enough so that in the morning he would be able to see who lived there-if it was someone he knew maybe they would be able to help him.

Having satisfied himself that he would be safe for the night, Harry lay down on a large branch and fell asleep almost immediately.

*********Author's Note*****So, first chapter of a new story; I have been working on it off and on for a while, but Goblin King was my main story, so this kind of fall to the back burner before I posted it, and I just found it again. I will try to post new chapters on a regular basis, but sometimes there may be a lapse due to my work schedule. Now, please review and let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. 'Nuff Said.

Warnings: Abuse, Slash (MxM), Evil Dumbledore…possibly more later.

It was late afternoon when Harry awoke, slightly disconcerted to find himself sleeping in a tree and covered in fur. After a few seconds the events from last night came back to him, and Harry wondered why he was still in his animagus form-surely it had been twelve hours by now, shouldn't the potion be gone from his system? Maybe he had to do something to regain his human form. Harry closed his eyes and concentrated on his human self, and was pleased when he felt a familiar tingling going through his body, but it was quickly replaced by a fierce burning sensation that made him shriek in pain, a sound which he was vaguely aware echoed throughout the forest. When the pain faded Harry was disappointed to note that he was still in his animagus form, the painful burning from his attempt at changing back still lingering as if in warning. Harry lay down on the branch panting as he thought about what happened; his magic was back-he had felt that familiar rush when he tried to change back to his human form-so he shouldn't be a tiger anymore unless...he growled lowly, as he realized that Dobby must have given him a magical item that the house elf didn't have all the information on. Obviously there was something else required to cancel the spell, but Harry would have to wait for Dobby to come back and check on him, which meant he was stuck for two days.

After lying on the branch and sulking for a while Harry realized that he was hungry, and knew that-as distasteful as it was to his human mind-he would have to hunt. Mentally preparing himself for a long day, Harry scanned the area to make sure that there were no people or animals around and then descended from the tree so that he could drink from the stream again. Once he had quenched his thirst Harry gave into his stomach and decided to find something to eat. He tried to catch some fish in the stream but was unsuccessful and only ended up falling in; luckily tigers didn't have a problem with water, but it was embarrassing all the same and hew could swear the fish were mocking him as the swum around him, darting away before he could catch them. Pulling himself out of the stream a disgruntled Harry recalled the manor he saw last night, and the turkeys in the yard; he knew it would be dangerous to get that close to other humans, but by now he was so hungry that he didn't care about getting caught.

Harry stalked silently through the forest in the direction of the manor until he came to the edge of the tree line and spied an imposing iron gate which appeared to go all the way around the property. Harry made his way around the property, keeping to the shadows, until he found a group of rocks at the base of a large tree that would be perfect; the rocks provided ample coverage so he could scout out the land in front of him, while the tree had a high branch that would allow him to jump over the gate; there was a gazebo near the fence that he would be able to use so that he didn't have to jump as far.. After watching the manor for what felt like hours to his empty stomach Harry hadn't seen anyone on the grounds and came to the conclusion that no one was home. He caught sight of the large white birds gathered by a pond, and thought to himself that they were strange looking turkeys-they seemed to have long, flat tails instead of the fan normally seen on a turkey and they didn't have the beard either. Shrugging it off-which felt strange in his tiger form-Harry climbed up the side of the tree and made his way to the branch that hung over the fence; he crouched low on the branch and leaped over the fence, feeling a faint tingle of magic as he crossed the boundary. He landed on the gazebo roof and crouched again, remaining still as he waited to make sure that no one had noticed him. Once he was sure that his arrival had gone unnoticed, Harry leapt the remaining distance to the ground and began stalking over to where the birds had congregated, keeping low to the ground and using various flowering plants to keep him hidden. He finally made it to a cluster of bushes near the pond and gathered his muscles to pounce. Harry let out a roar as he pounced-and found himself frozen in midair, unable to move anything but his eyes.

"You is a bad cat you is!" Harry heard a squeaky voice that could only belong to a house elf, even though he couldn't see the creature, "Such a bad cat, trying to attack Master's peacocks! Wispy will put you back in the forest where you belong!" The house elf came into view, and Harry decided that it must be a female, with big blue eyes and wearing a grey towel spotted with dirt. When Wispy reached his front she saw something that made her gasp and Harry rolled his eyes at the dramatics of house elves. "Where is you be getting that?" She demanded, and Harry realized she was pointing at the collar he wore, "That is not belonging to you, no it isn't! You is a bad wizard, stealing Mater's things and trying to kill his pets! Well, Wispy is telling on you she is! Wispy is getting Master to take care of you, bad wizard!" With a pop Wispy was gone, and Harry began to panic, realizing that he was at the mercy of an unknown wizard who could potentially be a Death Eater or even a Dumbledore supporter. He fretted uselessly for a few moments before he heard a familiar drawling voice;

"Calm down Wispy," the voice was saying, "Father is not here, but I will take care of it; if need be the tresspasser can rot in the dungeons until Mother gets home. Honestly, I have no idea why you didn't send him to the dungeons in the first place. Oh, stop punishing yourself; it gets tiring!" As the drawling voice got closer Harry could feel his muscles tensing; he knew that voice, and it was possibly worse than Voldemort and Dumbledore combined. "Wow!" There was a breathless exclamation, and Harry could only assume that the wizard had caught sight of him, "A black tiger; I thought those were myth-no one has ever been able to verify sightings." At this point the wizard walked in front of Harry and he beheld the pale visage and silvery hair of Draco Malfoy, whose silvery eyes were full of curiosity and excitement rather than the usual disdain he showed for Harry. Then, those silvery eyes met his, and Draco froze, staring before his gaze slowly trailed up and Harry could tell the exact moment that Draco had spotted his marking by the way the blonde gaped and then slowly smirked. "Leave Wispy," Draco commanded, "I can take care of this-wait. Wispy, as Master here I order you to tell no one of this incident, do you hear me? If you breathe a word of this to anyone, you will get clothes."

"No!" Wispy wailed, "Not clothes! Wispy is telling no one of this! Wispy is a good house elf and keeps Master's secrets!"

"Good, then go," Draco snapped, and a moment later the house elf was gone, leaving Harry alone with Malfoy-and those stupid albino peacocks that got him in this situation. "Well, well Potter," Draco mused, "You always do get yourself in the strangest situations; do you know how much money I could get for you?" Harry felt his eyes widen at that, "Black tigers are rare, very rare; and oh look! You're wearing a collar that belongs to my family; I wonder where you got it? Hmmm, maybe it has something to do with the house elf that I caught breaking into my father's study last night, what do you think?" Harry glared at Malfoy, but the blonde just laughed, reaching out with one long finger to touch Harry's scar in a way so reminiscent of Voldemort that Harry whimpered in remembered fear, causing Malfoy's eyes to widen as he dropped his hand and Harry closed his eyes in relief. "We need to talk Potter, but we can't do that here as I don't want anyone to know about you-not just yet anyway. So, I am going to release the bodybind, and you will follow me; if you attempt to run or attack me you will regret it, understood? If you understand blink once." Harry narrowed his eyes at the blonde but blinked and then promptly fell to the ground when the spell was released, just barely managing to land on his feet. He arched his back to stretch out his muscles, feeling pleased as he saw Draco watching him suspiciously, but he was well aware of the wand trained on him and so lowered his head to indicate that he would follow the blonde.

"You must think I'm stupid Potter," Draco scoffed, "No, you will precede me; just walk around the corner of the house and up to the door." Harry bobbed his head once in agreement and then walked around in front of Malfoy; as he began to pass in front of the other wizard he suddenly lashed out with his tail and Draco cried out in surprise as he was knocked off balance. Harry didn't waste any time but began to run back towards the gate when he was suddenly hit with a pain so intense that all he could do was shriek and writhe on the ground. It was over in seconds, and he looked up to see a pale-face Draco Malfoy standing over him; once he saw Harry looking at him Draco schooled his face into a look of cool indifference, but Harry had seen the brief flash of fear there.

"I warned you Potter," Draco drawled, "That collar binds you to my family; if you attack one of us then it will cause you pain-now that you are here it also binds you to Malfoy lands unless I give you permission to leave or remove the collar." At that last part Harry's ears perked up, only to droop again when Malfoy laughed at him, "Oh no Potter, I have no intention of removing that collar, not yet anyway. Now, we still need to get inside so we can talk, but we definitely don't want a repeat of this little stunt, so..." Malfoy waved his wand and with a whispered word a silver leash attached itself to the collar; as Harry got back to his feet he could feel magic vibrating through the leash and realized that it was telling him which way to go so-with a final narrow-eyed look at Malfoy-Harry headed for the front door of the manor, pulling on the leash until it shot a shock back at him, making him growl lowly, which caused Malfoy to laugh at him again. By the time they reached what were apparently Malfoy's room-up two staircases down numerous hallways and located at the back of the house-Harry was beginning to feel worn out. Really, he thought, it was to be expected-in the past twenty-four hours he had been beaten half-to-death, turned into a tiger, and put through a painful curse, not to mention he hadn't had any food yet...

"Here we are Potter," Draco said as they entered a bedroom, "We'll talk in my room; mind, don't go shedding your fur on the furniture. Now, sit down and don't move while I go find the book I need in my father's study." Harry obediently sat down at the foot of the bed, endeavoring to look innocent as Draco gave him a suspicious glare before leaving the room. As soon as the door closed, Harry leapt up onto the bed and rolled around until he got comfortable, making sure he was facing the door so he would be able to see Draco when he returned. When the blonde didn't return immediately, Harry closed his eyes and soon found himself drifting into an uneasy sleep.

"I thought I told you not to shed on the furniture?" the drawling voice woke him up and he lazily opened one eye to look at Malfoy before closing it again and tuning his head to the side, "Get off my bed Potter." Draco poked him in the side and Harry started to swipe a paw at him, but stopped himself as he remembered the pain from earlier and instead sat up and fixed Malfoy with an intense stare. "I know I'm beautiful Potter, but you don't have to stare. Now, kindly get off of my bed and I will return you to your human form." Upon hearing that Harry Harry leapt off the bed, landing at Draco's feet; the blonde scowled at him and reached out to place a hand on the collar, giving Harry a warning, "This collar binds you to me in human form as well, so please remember that and try not to attack me." Holding his wand in the other hand he touched it to the collar as well and closed his eyes, his lips moving in a silent spell. Harry felt that familiar tingling again and mentally braced himself for the pain that was sure to follow; he was therefore pleasantly surprised when instead of pain he simply found himself back in his human body, Malfoy's cool fingers touching his neck under the collar. Harry opened his eyes only to find Malfoy's silver eyes gazing down at him, a small smirk on his face.

"I always knew you'd learn your proper place one day," the blonde smirked, and Harry blushed as he realized he was kneeling at Malfoy's feet. He jerked his head back, feeling Malfoy's fingers reluctantly slip away, and shuffled backwards on his knees until he felt he was a safe enough distance from the blonde; grasping onto the bedpost he pulled himself to his feet, ignoring the sudden flare of pain in his back and the dizziness that threatened to overcome him.

"Get this stupid collar off of me Malfoy," Harry glared at his nemesis, "Just-remove the collar and I'll leave and we'll never speak of this again."

"I don't think so Potter," Malfoy replied calmly, "You were hungry enough to attempt eating a peacock-not that I mind necessarily, they are horrid birds, always attacked me as a child-therefore we shall sit down to lunch and talk about how you came to be here and why-as well as why you are in possession of an item that rightfully belongs to my family. Now, sit Potter." Malfoy turned his back on him and walked over to the window where there was a small table with a decent-sized lunch spread out. While the Slytherin's back was turned Harry reached up to pull his trunk off the collar-only to find out it was gone. He looked over at the blonde frantically, only to see Draco smirking and holding the charm in his hand, "You'll get this back later, if you can remain civilized," Malfoy informed him, "Now sit."

"Stupid git," Harry muttered, glaring as he sat across from the blonde, "Fine, what do you want to know?" At Malfoy's nod Harry grabbed an apple and poured a cup of tea; he was starving, but felt somewhat queasy at the same time.

"Well, first off I want to know why you are here," Malfoy said, helping himself to some pasta salad, "Trying to spy on me?"

"Hardly," Harry scoffed, "I ran away from home and a...friend helped me hide in the woods around here; I had no idea this is where you lived."

"Well, why did you run away?" Draco persisted, "And how did you come across that collar? Eat Potter; I didn't poison the food."

"Can we talk about why I ran away later?" Harry asked, "And I don't think you poisoned it I just...I don't feel very hungry." He took another bit of the apple and felt a wave of nausea break over him as the welts on his back began to burn; Harry closed his eyes and grasped the edge of the table, forcing himself to breathe evenly as the pain increased.

"Potter?" he hear Malfoy's voice as if from far away and felt a cool hand on the back of his neck, but at that moment it began to feel like all the wounds on his back were ripping open and he let out a loud, pain-filled scream before everything went black.

"Fuck!" Draco cursed as Potter fainted right at his table, "What the hell is going on? First Potter shows up as a black tiger-which haven't been seen in so many years that I thought they were myth-and then I find out he actually ran away, and now he's passed out! Why does this have to happen now, when Father is in Azkaban? And only a couple of days before my birthday too. Stupid Potter!" He glared at the unconscious boy in front of him before sighing and getting back to his feet, placing a hand on Harry's back to steady himself, frowning when he felt wetness seeping through the coat-and why was Potter wearing only jeans and a coat anyway? It was July for Merlin's sake, and far too hot for a coat. Draco looked down at his hand and saw that there was red liquid on it-Merlin; Potter was bleeding!

Cursing under his breath Draco levitated the brunette to lie face down on his bed, carefully setting his glasses on the bedside table, before murmuring a spell to vanish the coat and he gasped in disbelief; Potter's back was ripped to shreds! Who would do this to Potter? Perhaps the Dark Lord, but if he'd had Harry-er, Potter-at his mercy he certainly wouldn't have let him go. Frowning to himself Draco quickly crossed over to his bathroom and grabbed a pot of salve out of the medicine cabinet; the salve was some that he used last winter when he fell off his broom. Of course, that was Aunt Bella's fault-she had decided that Draco needed to practice evading curses and hexed him while he was out flying; he had been hit by the body-bind curse and fell into a tree-Bella had made sure he survived, but he'd had a few broken bones and a lot of scratches.

Draco walked back over to Harry and sat on the edge of the bed, opening the salve and smelling it to make sure that it was still good. Satisfied that it wasn't spoiled or anything, he scooped out a handful and carefully applied it to the open gashes on Harry's back, feeling relieved when the wounds began to close. Once he had applied the cream to each gash he called for Tillie.

"What can Tillie be doing for Master?" Tillie squeaked bowing and wringing her ears in fear of punishment.

"Bring me a clean cloth and a bowl of warm water," Draco commanded, "And make it fast!" Tillie didn't respond, but merely let out a frightened squeal and vanished; a moment later white cloth and a glass bowl filled with warm water appeared on the nightstand beside his bed, and Draco set the cloth before gently wiping the blood off of Harry's back. A few minutes later Harry's back was once more smooth and free of blood and Draco breathed a sigh of relief as he vanished the bow dirty bowl and cloth.

"Well, that's definitely better," he murmured, walking to the bathroom to wash his hands, "Who would have ever thought I would be looking after Potter?"

His thoughts were interrupted by another blood-curdling scream and he ran back to the bed to see his nemesis writhing in pain as the wounds on his back re-appeared, ripping open and pouring blood. "Bloody fucking hell!" Draco cursed, "Now what do I-?" He began muttering spells under his breath to try and stop the bleeding and finally resorted to using a stasis spell; the spell would keep Potter alive and stop him from losing any more blood until the spell was cancelled, and by that time Draco planned to have help.

"But who to call?" he wondered, "Mother is in France and she hates blood; Madame Pomfrey is out because I don't know how to get a hold of her and I'd sooner kiss a dementor than call Dumbledore…I guess that leaves Snape and I'll just have to hope he doesn't alert the Dark Lord right away; I would hate to heal Potter only to have him killed immediately after…so; Severus it is!" With a last look at the injured boy lying on his bed Draco ran from the room to access the Floo down the hall, praying that Severus would be able to help.

******Earlier that day, in another part of England…

In an old, battered mansion the creature formerly known as Tom Riddle, currently the Dark Lord Voldemort, was sitting alone in his office, mulling over plans to-once again- free his (incompetent) supporters from Azkaban when he heard the sound of tapping at the window. Looking up in irritation he almost hexed the annoying bird for interrupting him when he realized that he recognized the owl; the only person he knew with a snowy white owl was Harry Potter, but why would he be writing to Lord Voldemort? Perhaps he finally decided to give up? After all, Potter had to have realized by now that there was no way to defeat him. He smirked at this thought before scowling; no, it was more likely that the brat was writing to insult him. Well, only one way to find out. Still scowling Voldemort waved his hand and the window opened to allow the owl inside; once he took the letter Potter's bird sat on the edge of his desk, looking at him expectantly, so he opened the envelope-how dare Potter use Muggle stationary?-and proceeded to read the letter.

'_Dear Mr. Voldemort, formerly known as Tom_ _Riddle,_

_I'm sure you are wondering why I, Harry Potter, am writing to you, so let me assure you that I do not have a death wish, nor am I writing this to mock you-although, you really should get some more competent followers so that you don't have to spend so much time breaking them out of jail. Please, excuse my ramblings as I am in quite a large amount of pain right now, not to mention my world has crashed down around me (again). I'm sure you don't care too much about what has actually happened, but suffice it to say I have finally been disillusioned with Albus Dumbledore, and my relatives have finally taken the abuse too far so I have decided to leave. Not only am I running away from home but, seeing as how my friends have also abandoned me and my godfather is dead, I have decided to no longer fight for "the light", as they call it. So…I guess you can technically consider this my surrender, only I don't plan on turning myself over to you; I would, however, consider joining you if we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement. If that is something you would be interested in, I'm sure you'll figure out a way to contact me, otherwise I will simply stay out of your way as much as possible._

_Sincerely,_

_Harry Potter_

"Well, that was definitely not what I expected," Voldemort murmured as he re-read the letter, "I wonder what that old coot has done now to turn the Golden Boy against him…Harry Potter is no longer fighting against me, which can only be good." He was silent for a moment as he thought things over; would having Harry Potter on his side help? It would definitely be a blow to Dumbledore, but there was always the possibility that this was a trap-no that made no sense at all. Just to be safe, however, he would locate Harry Potter, lure him into a false sense of security and then imprison him until he could figure out the best way to use the former savior's defection to his advantage. Having come to a satisfactory decision Voldemort allowed a slow smirk to light up his face as he turned to address the owl.

"Your master wants me to find him," he said, "I will need one of your feathers to do so." The owl hooted softly flew in a circle around his desk, dropping a single white feather in front of the Dark Lord. "Excellent," Voldemort smiled thinly, then scowled at the owl, "Well? Don't you have somewhere to go?" The owl hooted once again, hopped forward to nip at his fingers, and then was gone before he had a chance to fire off a hex at it. "Stupid bloody owl," he said, "Now I just need to get the locator potion from Severus and in a few hours the Boy-Who-Lived will be at my mercy." Voldemort left the room, smirking once again as he went off in search of his loyal potions master.

*****Afternoon at Snape Manor

Severus Snape was alone in his sitting room, enjoying a cocktail and contemplating his life. For sixteen years he had been leading a double life or-in Muggle terms-playing both sides of the fence. When he had first joined the Dark Lord he had truly believed in his aims, but then Voldemort's sanity started slipping further and further each year, until he had killed Lily Potter, the only woman Snape had ever loved. The attack on his unrequited love is what had prompted Severus to switch sides, and he became a spy for Dumbledore, which is the only reason he managed to avoid a long stint in Azkaban. Then, the Dark Lord had come back and expected Severus to be a loyal servant once again, while Dumbledore expected him to spy on his former master.

He had doubted his decision to switch sides numerous times over the years, but never more often than in the past twenty-four hours. Last night he had been called into Dumbledore's office on Order business-namely to discuss Potter and reassure everyone that the brat was safe with his relatives-when the headmaster had received an owl from none other than Harry Potter. Upon reading the letter-which Potter had, for some reason, written on Muggle stationary-Dumbledore had immediately ended the meeting and left the office, asking Severus to lock up once everyone had gone.

Now, it wasn't very often that Severus had a chance to be alone in Dumbledore's office without supervision, so after the last person left he had cast a non-verbal spell to put all the portraits to sleep and proceeded to snoop. First, he happened upon the letter from Potter, which he duplicated without reading-best save that for the privacy of his own home-and then he walked over to the cabinet where Dumbledore kept his pensieve and his bottles of memories. Severus wasn't too concerned with the most recent memories because the headmaster generally confided in him, but there was a shelf of memories from just before he 'joined the light' up until a few years after he sided with Dumbledore that he had always been curious about; out of all the memories in the cabinet those were the most heavily warded and finally-after six years of trying-Severus had figured out how to get past the wards without alerting Dumbledore, and he had found a complex spell to replicate the memories. About ten minutes later Severus had successfully replicated the memories, and then he made sure nothing looked disturbed before cancelling the spell on the portraits and then leaving Dumbledore's office.

Once he got home, the first thing he did was read Potter's letter, and he was shocked at the letters contents. It seems that Potter discovered Dumbledore was paying the Dursley's to mistreat him and he'd finally had enough so he was running away; of course Severus just scoffed at this-it was obviously more of Potter's delusions, and no doubt Dumbledore would have him out searching for the brat before too long. Knowing that Dumbledore would most likely call on him in the morning, Severus had placed the stolen memories in a secure place and gone to bed. Needless to say, when he had woken up at eight a.m. and still had no message from the headmaster he had been shocked but pleased, and figured that Potter had already been found and dealt with, so he enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before taking the memories into his hidden lab for viewing.

After viewing the first set of memories Severus was stunned, but he knew there was more, so he continued to view them, one vial after another. Oddly enough, one of the heavily warded vials was from the night before, just before the Order meeting, but Severus understood why it was there once he viewed it; the memory showed Dumbledore betraying his students trust and giving Muggles-Muggles!-potions to use against him.

It took three and a half hours to view all of the memories, and when he reemerged for the last time he was pale and shaking with disbelief, the only thought going through his mind was 'Dumbledore lied.' The venerable headmaster had been lying to everyone for years, manipulating them and even changing their memories; Albus Dumbledore had betrayed them all in every way imaginable, and he, Severus, was the only one who knew about it.

For the past few hours he had been trying to decide what to do, and he finally came to the conclusion that he would have to tell his lord, even if it meant feeling the wrath of his displeasure. The hardest thing to come to terms with was the truth about Potter; how in Merlin's name would he ever be able to explain _that_ to the Dark Lord? Well, he would obviously have to show him the stolen memories. Nodding to himself he quickly packed the vials of memories and headed to his fireplace; he was one of the few who were allowed to floo directly to the old Riddle Mansion without giving advance notice and now, if ever, was the time to take advantage of that. Severus had just grabbed a handful of floo powder when green flames burst into life in his fireplace.

"Severus!" He was shocked to see the face of his godson, Draco Malfoy, and he was even more shocked to see the panicked look on his face, "Severus, you have to some through quickly; it's an emergency! Bring healing potions, whatever you have, and come to my room!"

"Slow down Draco," Severus said calmly, "I will be there momentarily, but first I need to know what the problem is so that I can bring the correct potions."

"You have to see it," Draco insisted, "All I can tell you is that there are numerous wounds; I used the healing salve you made for me when I fell off my broom and it helped, but then the wounds re-opened and they wouldn't stop bleeding; I had to place him in stasis and he's unconscious, so please hurry Sev!"

"Okay," Severus said, "Go back to your room and wait for me; I will be through as soon as I collect some potions. Don't do anything until I get there."

"Okay," Draco agreed, "Just…hurry!" Just then Severus realized he had forgotten to ask an important question.

"Wait! Who is it?" but it was too late; Draco had already gone. He muttered to himself as he went back to his potions lab and filled a bottomless bag with a selection of healing potions; he supposed it didn't really matter who the injured person was-he'd find out soon enough anyway. It only took a few moments and then he was throwing a handful of floo powder and calling "Malfoy Manor"; he stepped out of the fireplace into the second floor library and headed to Draco's room where he saw his godson sitting on the edge of his bed, next to an unconscious black-haired boy.

"Draco, is that who I think it is?" Severus demanded, and the blonde looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Only if you think it's Harry Potter," Draco drawled, attempting to mask his worry, "I found him prowling around my property, hungry enough to attempt killing one of Father's peacocks and brought him upstairs where I had the house elves set up lunch. We were sitting at the table and I was trying to find out why he was here when he suddenly screamed and then passed out. I levitated him to the bed, got rid of his coat and saw…this." He waved his hand over Potter's back, which was covered in blood. "Then I used that salve you made me and it seemed to work at first, then Harry screamed again and the wounds reappeared; I think they're worse than there were before I applied the salve. You aren't going to tell the Dark Lord are you? Because if so you might as well not even heal him."

"Stop being melodramatic," Severus snapped, "I have no intention of turning him over to the Dark Lord-I will at some point have to alert him to Potter's presence, however it's not something to be worried about at the moment. First, I need to find out what potions Potter has taken. Did he have his trunk with him?"

"Yes," Draco nodded and pulled a miniature trunk out of his pocket, handing it to Severus who quickly returned it to the correct size and opened it. It only took him a moment to find the potions that Dumbledore had given to the Dursley's, and in another few minutes he had analyzed them.

"That stupid old coot," he growled, "How could he do this to his Golden Boy? He really expected Potter to survive the summer? Idiot; he is an imbecile."

"Um, Sev? What are those potions?" Draco ventured uncertainly, and was startled by the anger he saw in his godfather's eyes.

"It's really Potter's place to tell you what happened," Severus began, "and I don't know everything, but I will tell you that Albus Dumbledore is behind this, and these potions…these potions are a farce. This one," he held up a red vial, "is a healing potion, but it has a side effect when mixed with this-" he held up a blue vial- "power suppressing potion. For a wizard, having their magic suppressed is harmful, so the healing potion attempts to fix that, put the other potion drains the healing properties. The healing potion will work on the wounds temporarily, but after a while they will re-open and be worse than before; it's the same with the salve you used. What we have to do is get the magic suppressing potion out of his system before we can heal his injuries, but that will be difficult to do without him bleeding to death."

"Great, so what do we do?" Draco demanded, "I really don't care to have the Boy-Who-Lived bleed to death in my bed."

"I have to return to Riddle Manor to get something," Severus replied, "You just stay here and watch after him; I should be back in just a few minutes." He swept from the room without awaiting a response and quickly floo'ed to Riddle Manor, where he stepped out into the empty sitting room. He made his way down the hall to his potions lab-and almost ran into Voldemort, who was just leaving it.

"There you are Severus," the Dark Lord said, "I've been looking for you."

"My Lord," Severus bowed-he wasn't required to kneel unless there was a meeting-, "What can I do for you?"

"I received a most interesting letter this morning," Voldemort informed him, "It was from Harry Potter-" Severus jerked at that and saw the small, cold smile on the Dark Lord's face, "Stand up Severus, so we can have a real conversation. Ah, that's better. Yes, Harry Potter sent me a letter saying that Dumbledore betrayed him and he was no longer going to work for the light-he has even offered to join me; isn't that wonderful news?"

"Yes, My Lord," Severus replied, "I found out just a little while ago that he sent Dumbledore a letter, severing all ties, and I happen to have a copy of it, if you wish to see it."

"Not at the moment," Voldemort replied, "So he really has abandoned the light….I had thought that maybe it was some sort of ploy, but now that I know it isn't….well, I need to find him. I want to get Harry Potter here, and under my power; once I have him at my mercy then he can be punished for all the trouble he has caused me-and then I will consider allowing him to join us. Now, Severus, I have a feather from his owl and I need one of your locator potions."

"Of course, My Lord," Severus replied, "I keep some here just in case you need them, however, I know where Potter is and he won't be going anywhere. Before I take you to him, I have some very important information for you that could change everything." He reached into his robe pocket and pulled out three vials containing Dumbledore's memories. "I finally managed to get past the wards on Dumbledore's memory cabinet, and these three are the most important memories that I replicated, although I have the rest for you as well." He saw Voldemort narrow his eyes in anger and spoke more quickly, "My Lord, do you remember Elena? Elena Pruitt?" Voldemort paused for a moment, a curious look on his face.

"Elena…" He murmured, and a small smile appeared on his face for just a moment as his eyes flashed brown, "Dark hair, with red highlights and the most beautiful eyes…green eyes. I remember a sweet voice, singing, and laughter…" His eyes returned to their previous crimson and he regarded Severus coldly, "Why do you mention Elena? She betrayed me; her death was easier than she deserved."

"No," Severus shook his head, "Elena didn't betray you-and she isn't dead." He held up the vials one at a time and explained the contents of each vial, "This one explains what happened that night, this one shows the truth of what happened the night in Godric's Hollow, and this one holds Dumbledore's memories from last night, which are important for you to understand what's happening right now."

"Elena is alive?" Voldemort demanded, "And she didn't betray me? Bring me your pensieve and wait as I view the memories."

"Of course, My Lord," Severus agreed, bringing the Dark Lord his extra pensieve, "I actually came to collect an item to save Harry Potter's life-may I get it while you view the memories?"

"What is wrong with Potter?" Voldemort demanded, so Severus explained his wounds as briefly as possible, "Well, I don't want him dying before I can teach him a lesson, so you may return to Malfoy Manor to heal the boy, and I will be along once I have viewed the memories."

"Thank you, My Lord," Severus bowed before going into his lab to get the items he would need; when he came back out he bowed again, but his Lord was already in the pensieve so he left the old mansion and returned to Malfoy Manor, where he set about healing the injured child lying broken on his godsons bed.

*******Author's Note*****So, what do you think of chapter two? There will be quite a bit of OOCness in this fic, but I will try to have their basic personalities stay the same as much as possible. A lot went on; wonder what was in those memories from Dumbledore, hmmm? And why is Draco so protective of his former rival? Tune in next time for another exciting episode…and I am going to bed.**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. 'Nuff Said.

Warnings: Abuse, Slash (MxM), Evil Dumbledore…possibly more later.

Note: In my story Voldemort is going to be close in age to Lucius, Severus, the Marauder's, etc.

Albus Dumbledore was furious; how did this happen? He had always been so careful with the boy, giving Harry numerous privileges while in school and then insuring that the Dursley's treated him appropriately during the summer; he had been working on Harry's conditioning for sixteen years, he couldn't fail now! He growled lowly as he re-read the letter he had received the previous evening.

_Dear Dumbledore,_

_I know what you've done, and I am disgusted with you; how can you stand to look at yourself in the mirror every morning? You are a teacher and it's your job to protect students; to give my uncle potions that make me helpless is the ultimate betrayal. I also know about you stealing money from my vaults, and I will be talking to the goblins at Gringotts about it. This is the last time I will ever be in my relatives home; I am leaving tonight with all my belongings and I withdraw my support from your efforts-I sincerely hope Voldemort Avada Kavada's you sooner rather than later._

_Sincerely,_

_Harry Potter_

He had ended the order meeting as soon as he read the letter and apparated to the Weasley's home where he discovered Hermione and Ron had received similar letters, telling them that he was tired of being betrayed and not to expect him over the summer; the teens were justifiably angry at Harry's behavior, but Albus had convinced them to be nice to Harry if they found him and keep him in one place until someone from the order could come fetch him.

Unfortunately, it had been over twelve hours since he had received the letter and not only was Harry still missing, but he'd also been unable to get in touch with Severus. This wasn't unusual by any means, but it was rather annoying at the moment, because he knew Severus had to have a potion that would allow him to locate his wayward charge. Scowling at Fawkes, who was entirely too cheerful when Albus was worried about all of his clever plans failing, he decided that Severus would have to pay for this, now he just had to figure out the appropriate punishment and make sure it couldn't be traced back to him. Hmmm…too bad Severus didn't have anyone that he was close to-it would be a simple matter to cause that person to fall "through the veil" as Sirius had. That was one of his cleverer tricks, and he wouldn't mind using it again…

Albus sighed and shook his head; he would just have to bide his time with Severus, and as for Harry…well, he would show up eventually, and once he did Albus would make sure his pawn could never try to escape again; it was his duty, and all for the Greater Good…

"Finally," Severus sighed, sitting down at the desk in Draco's room and rubbing his temples, "The magic suppressant is out of Potter's system, and now we can focus on actually healing him."

"Two hours just to get that horrible stuff out of his system," Draco scowled, "I can't believe Dumbledore would do this to a student-especially Potter! I always thought Potter was he precious Golden Boy…why would he do this?"

"You'll have to wait and ask Potter that question," Severus said, "I've noticed that you seem to be unusually worried about him lately-is there something you would like to share with me Draco?"

"What?" Draco cried indignantly, "I have no idea what you're talking about Severus; I simply don't want Potter to die in my room-it would look bad and…" he trailed off as he looked down at the unconscious brunette lying helpless on his bed; "I don't know what's happening Sev; ever since I first realized the black tiger in my yard was Potter I just felt drawn to him, and when I realized he was hurt…the thought of having to eventually turn him over to the Dark Lord makes my heart ache and the thought of anyone else touching him…" He let out a low growl and then looked over at Severus with wide eyes; "I don't know what's wrong with me Sev."

"I think I might know," Severus said thoughtfully, "You will be sixteen day after tomorrow, and that is when powerful wizards come into their inheritance, as do wizards with so-called "creature blood" in them. I'm sure you know about your family's genealogy…"

"Yes," Draco nodded, paling slightly, "There is Veela blood on both sides of my family; oh Merlin! You don't think that Potter is my-"

"You will not finish that sentence if you value your life," Severus glared at the young blonde, "However, it does seem plausible; there is no sense in worrying about it just yet because you won't know for sure until you're birthday-maybe not even until his birthday. Now, I believe it is time to wake Potter up and give him the healing potions. Afterwards we will have to discuss the collar he's wearing." He arched a brow at Draco who merely smirked back at him, and then they both stood over the injured boy.

"Will he even be able to sit up and drink the potions?" Draco wondered, "His back is really torn up."

"You have some explaining to do Severus," the dangerous purr had them both turning to see Voldemort standing in the doorway; "I thought he would be healed by now; why is he still unconscious?"

"My Lord," Severus bowed, "I just finished purging his body of the magic stripping potion, and now Draco and I are going to give him the healing potions; the injuries are more serious than I had first thought."

"You said you weren't going to tell him," Draco growled, glaring at his godfather, "You lied to me! I can't believe-" he glanced at the Dark Lord standing in his doorway and swallowed nervously, "Please forgive me, My Lord; I mean no disrespect, however I have been-"

"Draco has been feeling rather protective of Mr. Potter," Severus interrupted smoothly, "We are not yet certain of the cause, but I will be looking into as soon as I get the boy healed-that is, with your permission, of course."

"You have my permission," Voldemort said carelessly, "Now, why don't you heal Ha-him so you and I can talk."

"Of course, My Lord," Severus bowed, "Okay Draco, I am going to cast a numbing spell on Mr. Potter so that we can wake him up." He silently cast the spell and then nodded for Draco to remove the stasis charm. A few seconds later they heard a low moan and Harry weakly lifted his head off the pillow.

"Wh-what happened?" the brunette asked, "Where am I?"

"You're in my room Potter," Draco replied, "We were discussing your reasons for being here when you passed out in pain from those injuries on your back."

"Malfoy?" Harry questioned, squinting as he tried to focus on the blonde-haired boy, but all he could see was a pale blur, "Who else is here? And-I can't feel my body! What did you do to me!" He began struggling to move, but the numbing spell made it near impossible, and Draco winced as some of the wounds on his back opened again.

"Stop that," he admonished, gently grabbing one of Harry's arms in an attempt to make the other boy lie still, "We haven't healed your back yet, and you're making it worse!" Harry ignored him and continued to struggle, so Draco grabbed a fistful of hair and forced the Gryffindor to look at him; the small pain served to calm the other boy slightly and he looked at Draco with wide green eyes; "Potter; Harry-stop moving so we can help you. If you calm down I'll explain what's going on and then we can heal you and you'll be able to move again, okay?"

"O-okay," Harry agreed quietly, "You never did say who was in here with us."

"Well, you were hurt pretty badly," Draco began, "so I called Severus to help me out and-"

"What?" Harry interrupted, turning his head to try and see his potions professor, "No! Why did you do that? Snape will tell Dumbledore and he'll make me go back; I don't want to go back! I won't go back!"

"Calm down Potter," Snape drawled, "I have no intention of telling Dumbledore where you are, although I will expect some answers from you once you are healed. Speaking of which, Draco is going to help you sit up and turn over so that you can drink this healing potion." Harry had quieted down again and he nodded his agreement-or at least tried to nod.

"Um…Malfoy? Can you let go of my hair now?" He asked, "I promise I'll try not to freak out any more."

"Like I would believe that," Draco scoffed, but he released his hair anyway and helped Harry maneuver into a sitting position; once Harry was propped up against the pillows Draco reached over to grab his glasses off the bedside table, placing them carefully on the other boys face. Relieved at being able to see again Harry let his gaze wander the room; there was Snape over by the table going through some potions vials and over by the door was-

"Voldemort!" Harry cried, "Oh Merlin! Why even bother to heal me if he's here? You might as well just let me die!"

"You really are melodramatic," the Dark Lord commented, and Harry knew he had to be losing his mind because Voldemort had just sounded _amused_; Amused! "I am not here to kill you Harry-I am here in reference to the letter you sent me. You do recall sending me a letter, don't you?"

"A letter? Oh, yes," Harry said weakly, "It slipped my mind for a bit, what with all the other stuff going on. So are you here to negotiate-"

"We will discuss that later," Voldemort interrupted, smirking when Harry glared at him, "Now, you be a good boy and let Severus and Draco here heal you and then we'll have lunch since you passed out before eating."

"It's not my fault," Harry pouted, "I didn't ask my un-you know, never mind. I'm ready to take the potion now Professor Snape."

"Seeing as how it is summer and I am not currently your teacher you may call me Severus," the dark-haired man informed him, "Now, I have three potions for you, and you must drink them all. The first one is to heal the internal damage-how did you get a broken rib anyway?" He handed Harry a red potion and the brunette made a face, downing it all in one go before he answered.

"Dudley tripped when we were going downstairs and landed on top of me," Harry replied, "At least, that's what he told his parents. Well, actually he said that I tripped him on purpose to try and get him in trouble, but whatever; I'm used to it."

"Yes, well you're lucky it didn't puncture a lung," Severus said drily as he handed him another potion, this one silver with flecks of blue in it, "This one will heal the actual wounds…" he paused for a moment to allow Harry to drink that one before handing him the final potion, which was a deep purple, "And this one will get rid of any infection." Harry quickly drank the last potion, gagging at the aftertaste.

"Why are these things always so disgusting?" he demanded, "It would be easier to make people take their potions if they didn't taste like dirty socks."

"There are very complex reasons as to why we are unable to alter the taste of potions," Severus began, "but I would hardly expect you to understand, so I will not waste my time explaining it to you. Now, lie still so I can run a scan and make sure you're healed. You'll need to move Draco." Draco stood up and Severus waved his wand over Harry's body; Harry was encased in a pale blue light and Severus nodded in satisfaction once it faded. "Well, you are perfectly healthy-physically at least; I can in no way vouch for your mental health."

"Yeah yeah; whatever," Harry said dismissively, "Ummm….I'm kind of hungry; do I still get lunch?" Severus rolled his eyes but summoned a house elf and soon the four of them were sitting down to lunch, Harry ate his in bed as Severus said it was best for him not to move too much at first.

Once they were done eating Draco sat back down next to Harry on the bed and Severus and Voldemort conjured comfortable-looking chairs so they could sit nearby.

"Okay Potter," Severus began, "I believe it is time to give us some answers; I discovered a few things last night which we also need to discuss-" he glanced at the Dark Lord who nodded for him to continue, "However first you need to tell us what happened to you-and explain why you are wearing a collar that belongs to the Malfoy family."

"Fine," Harry sighed, leaning back into the pillows and closing his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at anyone, "I guess I should start at the beginning, with my family. Okay, so my relatives have never liked me and they neglected me and called me names all throughout my childhood; they told me my parents were worthless and dies in a car accident and also that magic wasn't real, yet whenever anything happened they blamed me and locked me in the cupboard, although they stopped beating me when I was about eight and my accidental magic destroyed the living room."

"What was that about a cupboard?" Voldemort questioned, "Did they put you in there for time-out?"

"No," Harry shook his head, "Until I was eleven I slept in the cupboard under the stairs; when I got my letter my relatives moved me up to Dudley's second bedroom. I should have realized something was wrong then; my letter was actually addressed to the cupboard under the stairs, so Dumbledore had to know what was going on. Anyway, so my family neglected, starved and insulted me for years, but they never hit me after I turned eight, until last night. I was sneaking down to the cupboard to get my school things out so I could do my homework when I heard the doorbell ring and then I heard Dumbledore's voice…" He proceeded to tell them everything that had occurred the night before, from being force-fed a potion to getting beat; he explained that Dobby had given him the collar and how he awoke in a tree this afternoon. "…so that's why I ran away and how I came to be wearing a collar that obviously ties me to Malfoy here."

"I will kill them," Voldemort said calmly, but Harry looked up and noticed that his crimson eyes were flashing, "For Muggles to lay hand on a wizard in that manner is simply unacceptable-and Dumbledore! Dumbledore is a disgrace to wizards everywhere; I always knew he was unfit to be headmaster. I will personally make sure that Albus Dumbledore pays for what he did to my-"

"My Lord," Severus interrupted quickly, "Perhaps now would be the time to tell the boys what we discovered last night."

"Yes, I suppose they deserve to know," the Dark Lord said slowly, "But I am not sure they will believe it; I had a hard time coming to terms with the information, and I actually watched the memories."

"Will you two stop being so cryptic and tell us what's going on?" Harry demanded, earning himself a glare from Voldemort.

"Very well," Voldemort agreed, "Perhaps we should allow them to view the memories themselves; is there a pensieve here Draco?"

"Father has one in his office," Draco replied, "However it is warded and I am not sure how to get to it."

"Then we shall have to return to my manor," Voldemort said, "Unless Severus would like to go fetch his pensieve?"

"My Lord," Draco said hesitantly, "With your permission I can order a house elf to go get the pensieve."

"That would be acceptable," the Dark Lord nodded, and Draco summoned Tillie; once she had her orders it took only a few moments for her to return with the pensieve, and Severus took it from her, carefully setting it on the bed in front of Harry and Draco.

"Severus and I have already viewed these memories," Voldemort informed them, "so we shall wait here for you; some of what you see will be very upsetting, but you must not turn away-it is important." Harry and Draco both nodded warily, and Voldemort motioned for them to enter the pensieve. "Go on." Harry glanced at Draco hesitantly and the blonde offered him a small smile before plunging into the memories with Harry following a moment later.

"Now that they are gone," Voldemort began, "We need to talk Severus. You and I both know that I am not exactly what I appear to be; it was Dumbledore who made me this way."

"Yes, My Lord," Severus nodded, "however, I believe that I may be able to help restore you to your normal self, in time."

"You don't have to call me that any longer," Voldemort said, "If you can really restore me to my true form then Voldemort will die, and I will return to being Tom Riddle. In the meantime, when we are in private you may call me Tom; we were friends once Severus and I would like to be again."

"I would like that as well," Severus said softly, "I used to look up to you as an older brother; I wondered why I felt so disappointed with your actions over the years but, now that I have broken through the memory block, I understand. Lucius needs to see the memories as well; in fact, there are many people who need to see those memories, but I don't see how we can reach them all."

"Yes, Dumbledore went to extremes this time, and he has made things extremely difficult for us," Voldemort-or rather, Tom, agreed, "We shall bring Lucius in and allow him to view the memories, and then the three of us can decide where to go from there; it would be dangerous to allow everyone access to the memories right now lest Dumbledore discovers that we have our memories back."

"I agree," Severus said slowly, "However, what about the people who were directly affected by Dumbledore's actions? Those who lost children and loved ones?"

"We will inform them of the truth in time," Tom assured him, "but we would be overwhelmed if we attempted to share the memories with everyone at one time; I already expect to have a difficult time when Harry returns." The room was silent for a moment, then Tom changed the subject, "The boys will be busy watching the memories for some time, so I shall get everyone out of Azkaban and bring Lucius back here; if anyone contacts you advise them to go to a safe house and keep a low profile on my orders."

"I will, Tom," Severus assured him as he pulled a journal out of his robes, "While I wait I will get started on plans for your restoring potion."

"Good," Tom said, "I will be back shortly." He gave Severus a brief nod before leaving the room, and a moment later Severus heard the sound of the floo in the study being activated. Sparing a quick glance at the boys to make sure they were still okay, and then opened his journal to begin the calculations for the potion that would restore Tom Riddle to his former-and hopefully sane-self.

*******Author's Note*****Chapter Three is short, and Chapter four likely will be short as well, but this just seemed like a good stopping point so I could get something posted. Still lots of secrets to be revealed, but some of those will be in the next chapter; I tried putting the information in this chapter with Voldemort telling it as a story, but it just didn't come out right, so I decided to do it as a series of pensieve memories. Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks to my reviewers from the first two chapters; demoncookie8D, IaminlovewithVegetandTrunks, loki, Ruby Silken Sun, MirrorFlower and DarkWind, TeaAndCrumpetsIfYouPlease and Nukie. I may not give individual shout outs in every chapter, but I want you to know that I do appreciate the reviews! Until next time ^_^**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. 'Nuff Said.

Warnings: Abuse, Slash (MxM), Evil Dumbledore…possibly later.

Note: In my story Voldemort is going to be close in age to Lucius, Severus, the Marauder's, etc.

Harry and Draco landed in the familiar Halls of Hogwarts just in time to witness the sorting of Tom Riddle.

"That's Voldemort," Harry said softly, "He changed his name later on."

"Dumbledore doesn't seem to like him much," Draco commented, and Harry noticed the calculating gleam in the future headmaster's eyes.

After a few moments the scene changed to reflect a slightly older Tom-perhaps in second year-welcoming a new Slytherin as he was sorted.

_"Lucius Malfoy," the new student held out his hand, and Tom accepted it, replying, "Tom Riddle."_

_"Riddle?" Lucius wrinkled his nose, "Isn't that a Muggle name?"_

_"Unfortunately," Tom replied, scowling, "Mother was a witch, but my father was a Muggle; I suppose they are both dead though, as I was raised in a Muggle orphanage."_

_"How horrible," Lucius said, "I can't imagine what it must have been like for you, to be raised among Muggles; tell me, are they truly as barbaric as Father says?"_

_"They aren't very nice," Tom said, "I hate living with them; they think they're so much better than me." He scowled for a moment before perking up, "I have plans though; I can't do much for myself, however when I graduate from Hogwarts I will go into the ministry and work to improve the lives of other wizards who are forced to live with Muggles."_

_"Good for you," Lucius said approvingly, "I'll help you; we need to work on a plan to limit contact between wizards and Muggles even more as well."_ The scene faded out and Draco looked over at Harry.

"He certainly didn't seem to be evil at that point," he commented, and Harry nodded in agreement.

"Neither did your father," he replied, and Draco glared at him, "but they were just kids too; I'm sure no one is born evil." They stopped talking as the scene faded back in to show Tom and Lucius witness another sorting; this time they were joined by Severus Snape, and Harry noticed how the young Slytherin looked longingly at the Gryffindor table-at his mother, Lily Evans.

_"Don't look so gloomy Severus," Lucius said, "That's the girl you told me about over the summer, isn't it?"_

_"Yes," Severus replied, "That's Lily; I can't believe she's in Gryffindor! She's so nice, and smart, and pretty…" he trailed off blushing, "and she's in the same house as that spoiled prat James Potter; and don't even get me started on Sirius Black!"_

_"If she's as smart as you say she won't stop being your friend just because she's in a different house," Lucius placated the younger boy, "In fact, she will probably need you more than ever. Oh, by the way Severus, this is my friend Tom Riddle; Tom, this is Severus Snape-we've been friends since we were little."_

_"Nice to meet you," Severus said shyly, accepting Tom's hand, "Luca told me about you in his letters."_

_"Hey!" Lucius protested, "I told you not to call me that anymore; if you're going to call me Luca then I'm calling you Sev!" The scene faded out again to the sight of Tom Riddle laughing at the two younger boys, and then it faded back in to show the boys sitting out by the lake joined by Lily and another girl with dark hair and the same green eyes._

_"Hey Sev," Lily greeted, "Luca; Tom; this is my cousin Elena I was telling you about. Her father's a Pruitt-distantly related to the Prewitt's here, but their branch of the family moved to America a few generations ago. Elena, this is Severus, Lucius and Tom."_

_"Hi," Elena smiled at the boys, "It's nice to meet you, although I've seen Tom before in some of my classes; we have potions together and you always beat my score." She mock-glared at him and Tom laughed._

_"Well, it's nice to meet you," Tom replied, "Is your family still in America?"_

_"Oh, yes," Elena replied, "My younger brother Al will be here next year though, and then James will be here the year after. Lily said you three have plans for improving the wizarding world; I'd like to hear them, if you don't mind." Tom's expression became excited, but the memory faded out before he started to speak._

"That was strange," Harry said frowning, "I never knew that my mom had a cousin in America-and she was a witch! Why didn't Dumbledore ever tell me? Hell, why didn't he let me stay with her? She obviously liked my Mum!"

"Dumbledore is a manipulative old coot," Draco replied as if that explained everything, and in a way it did. The next memory was a few years down the road, and Harry recognized a 16 year old Tom Riddle sitting with Elena.

_"I discovered a secret chamber," Tom was saying, "Sev and Luca are coming with me to see it tonight, and I wondered if you would like to come too?"_

_"Sounds like fun," Elena smiled, "Where should we meet, and when?"_

_"Meet outside the girl's loo on the second floor," Tom replied, "an hour before curfew. You can invite Lily too, but only if she leaves Potter and his friends behind; Sev still doesn't feel comfortable around them after what happened last year."_

_"I don't blame him really," Elena said, "I still can't believe Peter sent Sev in after Remus on the night of a full moon! I swear that boy doesn't have any brains in his head; and I can't even fathom his reasons for doing so-was he trying to get Severus killed, or trying to expose Remus as a werewolf?"_

_"I have no idea," Tom said, "but we need to keep an eye on him; I still can't believe Dumbledore talked the headmaster out of expelling-or at least suspending-Peter. If Sirius and James hadn't gone after Sev he would probably be dead by now; I'm working on something to pay Pettigrew back though, don't worry." They were silent for a moment, and Tom cleared his throat nervously before speaking up again. "Elena? I was wondering if you would come with me next Hogsmeade weekend; on a date?" Elena's smile was dazzling when she replied;_

_"I'd love to Tom," she leaned over to kiss his cheek before standing up, "I'll see you tonight at half-nine."_

"Tom Riddle-_Voldemort_-had a girlfriend," Harry said in disbelief, "and he's still not evil!"

"It is rather hard to wraps one's mind around, isn't it?" Draco agreed, "I never thought of the Dark Lord as an actual person; I wonder why Father never mentioned him? Even if he didn't want to tell me that he was the Dark Lord he could have mentioned that he and Uncle Sev had a friend named Tom…" He trailed off as the next memory started; Tom and his friends Severus, Lucius, Lily and Elena, as well as James Potter, Narcissa, Bellatrix, Regulus and Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were standing in a room that was very familiar to Harry.

"This is when he discovered the Chamber of Secrets," he whispered and Draco nodded.

_"This is Slytherin's hidden chamber," Tom said smugly, "I discovered it last night, and I wanted to share it with my friends."_

_"Why are they here?" Elena demanded, green eyes flashing as she jerked her chin at Bellatrix and Narcissa, "They've never been involved with us before."_

_"They're here because Lucius and Narcissa have just been notified that they will be married once they graduate Hogwarts and Luca wants to have an honest relationship with his future wife," Severus replied drily, "Bellatrix is here because Narcissa evidently can't keep a secret from her sister any more than Sirius can keep a secret from Reg. I would have skipped out on this little gathering if I'd known that those three clowns were going to be here." He glared at James, Sirius and Remus._

_"Look Severus, I'm really sorry about what Peter did," James said, "I know you and I have never been close friends, but we were friends of a sort and I'd hate for that idiots actions to end that. If you'll accept our apology, Siri, Remus and I will help you prank Peter really good. And, I'll allow you to borrow my invisibility cloak one time for twenty-four hours with no questions asked." Severus scowled and looked over at the wall, but Harry could detect an excited gleam in his eyes._

_"Very well," Severus replied, sounding very put-out, "I will accept your apology, with the understanding that you will help me in my revenge against Peter and allow me to borrow your cloak." James held out his hand and Severus shook it, doing the same with Sirius and, with a slight hesitation, Remus._

_"Good," Tom said, "Now that that's taken care of, I want to introduce you to Salazar Slytherin's familiar. Just a warning-I have warned her not to harm any of you, but you need to avoid looking in her eyes." Tom began hissing and the shape of a large snake appeared, but the memory faded before they could see it clearly._

"What was that?" Draco demanded.

"That was the basilisk that used to live in the Chamber of Secrets," Harry replied, "She wasn't as big as she was when I saw her."

"That thing got bigger?" Draco cried, "And you saw it?"

"I killed it," Harry corrected, "But it was a near-thing." He held out his arm to show Draco the scar from the basilisk's fang; "If Fawkes hadn't been there I would have died. Oh, here's more!" He drew Draco's attention to the new memory, which showed Tom-still sixteen-sitting in an empty classroom with Dumbledore.

_"You are very powerful Tom," Dumbledore was saying, "But I feel you are not using your power to its full potential; you are nearly an adult now and it is time for you to start thinking of your future. How would you like to work at Hogwarts after you graduate? I'm sure you have heard that Headmaster Dippet will be retiring at the end of the year, and I have been chosen to take his place."_

_"That's very generous of you sir," Tom said calmly, "However I will have to decline; I plan to join the ministry so that I can work to change the laws regarding contact between wizards and Muggles, as well as work to improve living conditions for wizarding children being raised by Muggles."_

_"Oh?" Dumbledore arched his eyebrow, "And how would you improve these conditions?"_

_"By making sure that all magical children are raised with at least one wizarding parent," Tom replied promptly, "and I also think we need to create a new branch in the ministry to monitor magical children living with Muggles to make sure they are not being abused or neglected."_

_"That's a wonderful idea," Dumbledore beamed, "We already have a department in place to look after pureblood children and it is about time one was created to look after half-bloods and Muggleborns as well. In addition, perhaps you could work on improving relations between our two societies-"_

_"I don't think so," Tom interrupted, "I feel that contact between our world and the Muggle world should be limited as much as possible; in the past Muggles had persecuted us and at one point nearly eliminated us, and they are still exceedingly violent-I'm sure you've heard of Adolf Hitler? Muggles discriminate against anything that is different, and I don't believe we should associate with them except for when it is absolutely necessary."_

_"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way my boy," Dumbledore said sadly, "but if you will not work with me then you are my enemy; I just have to find a way to make the other teachers see the evilness that is evident to me, but how?" Tom had gotten out of his chair and was slowly making his way to the door, "Ah yes; I heard the two Black sisters mention that you found a giant snake-that will be perfect." He calmly pointed his wand at Tom and said, "Imperio!" Once the boy was under the spells control Dumbledore gave his orders, "You will release the snake you have found and order it to attack-but not kill-Muggleborn students. After ten students have been attacked, you will command your pet to kill…oh, let's say Myrtle, that girl who is always crying. Yes, once Myrtle is dead, you will make sure that Rubeus Hagrid catches you. You may go now." The memory faded once again, and the next one showed Dumbledore talking to a young Hagrid._

_"Hagrid I am so sorry about this," Dumbledore said quietly, "I am not sure how he broke free of my spell, but most of the professors think that Tom is a nice young man, and they believe what he is saying."_

_"But what'll I do Headmaster?" Hagrid was crying, "I ain't got nowhere ter go!"_

_"Don't worry my dear boy," Dumbledore said soothingly, "You will stay at my family home for now, and once I am headmaster I will give you a job at the school. Now, I managed to get the pieces of your broken wand from the minister, and I have hidden them in this so that you will still be able to perform some magic." Dumbledore handed the young Hagrid a pink umbrella and the scene faded out again._

"I always wondered how he made that umbrella," Harry mused, "I didn't think he could make it himself, and now I see I was right."

"Shh!" Draco shushed him as the next memory started, showing Tom sitting in a dark room with the same students from before, all of them looking very solemn.

_"I know you all heard about what happened," Tom began, "and how Hagrid was blamed for those attacks; well, I'm about to tell you the truth, but you have to swear an unbreakable vow not to tell anyone else." All of the students made the vow and then Tom continued; "It was my fault those students were attacked, and my fault that Myrtle was killed. I released Satomi and she attacked the students, but I did not do it willingly; just after the Holidays Dumbledore put me under the imperius curse because I refused to support his aims, and he told me to make Satomi attack students because he wanted everyone to see how evil I was. After Myrtle died I was supposed to let Hagrid discover me, but Myrtle's death was enough to help me break free of his spell, so I framed the stupid oaf instead."_

_"That's horrible!" Elena cried, "I can't believe Dumbledore would do something like that; my mom always said that Dumbledore was a great wizard and trustworthy, otherwise she never would have let me, Al, and Jay come here. Of course, Daddy always said he never trusted him but…" She frowned as she thought it over and then met Tom's dark brown eyes with her own emerald green, "I believe you Tom, and I will stand by you no matter what." She placed her hand in his and Tom gave a small relieved smile as he looked around at the other students._

_"You know Severus and I stand by you," Lucius said, glancing at Narcissa who gave a small nod, "and so do Cissy and Bella."_

_"I believe you too," James said, "Dumbledore has been acting very strange, and the way he stuck up for Peter…if you need our help, the Marauder's stand behind you 100%!" Sirius and Remus nodded their agreement. _The memory faded into a new one; _the same group of students was there but they were all a bit older and they were gathered outside on a sunny day. Tom was standing underneath an archway covered in flowering vines, wearing expensive looking silver dress robes and fidgeting nervously. A soft, haunting melody began to play and everyone looked behind them, standing as Elena came down the aisle on the arm of a man only slightly taller than her, with dark tanned skin, black hair and a mustache, and brown eyes; Elena was wearing pale green dress robes edged in silver and carrying a bouquet of pink and white roses. Elena was followed by what appeared to be her younger sister, a ten-year old girl with dark brown hair and hazel eyes carrying pink roses. The memory became hazy for a few seconds, and then refocused in time for the boys to hear the officiating wizard say;_

_"With the power vested in me by Merlin and the Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce you husband and wife, bonded for life; you may kiss the bride." There was loud applause as Tom leaned in to give Elena a sweet kiss, and when they broke away there was a faint blush on her cheeks. "I now present to you for the first time Mr. and Mrs. Tom Riddle! What Merlin has joined let no man part."_

_The memory faded out again, and now Tom and a pregnant Elena were standing in a bedroom along with Severus; Narcissa was lying in the bed holding a small bundle, and Lucius was sitting next to her, smiling proudly._

_"I'd like you to meet my son and heir, Draco Lucius Malfoy," Lucius tilted his arms so that his friends could see the baby; Draco had a small tuft of silvery-blonde hair and when his eyes opened they could see that they were a pale blue-grey._

_"I can't believe you and Cissa are parents first," Elena pouted, "but I have to admit, he is beautiful; he's going to be heartbreak, that one."_

_"He's going to be a terror," Severus corrected drily, "A Malfoy for a father and a Black for a mother? Oh yes, he will definitely be a terror." He never-the-less stepped forward and gently touched the baby's cheek, stepping back in surprise as baby Draco let out a plaintive cry._

_"Don't worry; he's just hungry," Narcissa laughed, reaching out her arms to take Draco from Lucius, "You might want to get used to him Sev-after all, we are naming you his godfather." She adjusted Draco to feed him, watching Severus with amused blue eyes._

_"G-godfather?" Severus stuttered, paling, "Me? But I don't know anything about raising children!"_

_"You're the godfather, not the father," Tom pointed out with amusement as he conjured a chair for Elena, "And at least you only have one; I don't know how I'm going to manage two babies!"_

_"You'll be fine honey," Elena smiled softly at him, "And we'll have Sirius and Lily to help us."_

_"Wouldn't it be wonderful if one of your babies was a girl?" Narcissa smiled, "Then we could get her to marry Draco-"_

_"My babies aren't even born yet-there is no way I am going to allow you to plan their marriage," Tom interrupted with a mock glare, "Besides, what id both of the babies are boys?"_

_"It could still work," Severus said, "You know I've accepted that apprenticeship with Professor Slughorn, and he's working on developing a potion to allow same-sex couples a way to have children."_

_"We're still not agreeing to an arranged marriage," Elena said firmly, "They will marry whomever they fall in love with, just as I did." She tilted her head back to beam at Tom and he leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss before the scene faded once again._

"You were a rather cute baby," Harry grinned at Draco, "Wonder what happened?"

"I grew up to be devastatingly handsome, of course," Draco smirked, preening a bit, "This doesn't make any sense though; according to everything we've been taught Voldemort was out killing Muggles at this point, not having babies with a beautiful America witch-and I know I've never heard of him being married!"

"It is strange," Harry agreed frowning, "But hopefully it will make sense soon; here's another memory."

This time it showed Elena lying on a bed in Saint Mungo's, face pale and sweaty as she screamed at the nervous Tom holding her hand; gathered around them were Sirius and Regulus Black, the Potter's, Lucius and Severus, along with a medi-witch and her assistant.

_"You bastard!" Elena screamed, "You did this to me! Oh Merlin! I hate you!"_

_"I hope you aren't that angry when our little one is born," James whispered to Lily, who looked back at him laughing._

_"I heard that James Potter!" Elena yelled, "Someone give me my wand so I can hex his balls off!" Draco and Harry were watching the scene with wide eyes, both of them laughing quietly._

_"I don't think so, 'Laine," Lily laughed, "I'd really rather my husband keep his bits so we can have more children after this. Besides, I thought you were mad at Tom?"_

_"Hey!" Tom protested, "Elena is the one who wanted-" he trailed off as he noticed his wife's murderous glare, "Er, I mean, I love you honey?"_

_"Are you saying this is my fault?" Elena demanded, "That's it! Once these babies are born you are never touching me again! Will somebody please get his devil-spawn out of me!"_

_"Just relax dear, you're doing fine," the medi-witch said soothingly, and Harry recognized her as Molly Weasley, "Okay, it looks like they're ready to come out; when I give the word I need you to bear down and push, okay sweetie?"_

_What followed was a long, intense scene that involved a lot of screaming and cursing from Elena, laughter from the men in the room, and encouraging words from Lily and Molly. Harry had turned his head away, in no way ready to experience the mysteries of childbirth, but he looked back over quickly when he heard a loud cry, and was just in time to see the first baby born._

_"It's a boy," Molly said cheerfully, severing the umbilical cord and handing the baby to Sirius, who accepted with a broad grin on his face, "Oh, and here comes the next one!" Several minutes later there was another cry, and Molly announced, "A girl! So beautiful!" The new baby was handed over to Regulus once she was cleaned off, and the two godfather's brought the babies over to their parents; and exhausted Elena held the girl, while Tom held their son._

_"They are perfect," Tom said breathlessly, leaning over to give Elena a loving kiss, "You did this Elena; you gave me the two most beautiful, perfect children in the world."_

_"Well, I may have had a bit of help," Elena said impishly, "but they are beautiful, a boy and a girl; how perfect!" The group of friends crowded around to see the new babies; the boy had a shock of thick black hair, and his inquisitive eyes were and intense green, while the girl had blond-ish hair and bright blue eyes. They both had their mother's olive skin tone, and they both seemed oddly observant for newborns._

_"What are their names?" Severus asked curiously as he gazed down at the newborn babies._

_"Well, the boy will be Hadrian Thomas Riddle," Tom smiled, "and our daughter is Arianna Lorelei Riddle."_

_"Sirius, we would like for you and my sister Annalisa to be Hadrian's godparents," Elena announced, "Annalisa will be here this weekend; and Regulus, we'd like for you and Bella to be Arianna's godparent's."_

_The scene faded, and the boys were left in darkness for a few minutes._

"Voldemort had children," Harry frowned, "He had a loving family and friends, and he was married with two children; Dumbledore always said that Voldemort turned evil because he was alone, and never had any love…"

"Well, we've already realized that Dumbledore is a liar," Draco drawled, "I just don't see how he could have changed everyone's memories…" He was silent for a moment, "Harry, those two babies-no, never mind. Let's just watch."

_The next scene was in a large, comfortable-looking room, and it showed Tom and Elena, Lucius and Narcissa, Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband Rodolphus, along with Severus, Sirius, and Regulus sitting on the furniture and watching four babies crawl around on the floor. Draco was obviously one of the children, with his pale blonde hair, and the Riddle twins were also on the floor-Hadrian still had thick black hair, while Arianna's hair had darkened slightly to have some red highlights in it- and the other child was another girl with a headful of bushy black hair; Draco and Hadrian were playing with a stuffed dragon that was flying around their heads, while the girls were coloring happily. There was a noise at the door and it opened to reveal the Potter's with a baby in Lily's arms, Remus, and another young couple he recognized as Alice and Frank Longbottom, along with Augusta Longbottom, who was holding a small boy._

_"Good; you're here," Tom nodded at James, Lily and Remus, "And these are the one you told us about, the Longbottoms'?"_

_"I am Augusta Longbottom, and this is my son Frank, his wife Alice, and this little boy, this is my grandson Neville," Augusta smiled down at the boy before pinning Tom with a steely gaze, "We normally don't associate much with families who are known for their affinity with the Dark Arts, but Lily and James have convinced me to hear you out."_

_"We are glad you came," Narcissa smiled, "Why don't you set Neville down and let him play with the others? And Lily, you can put Lillian in the playpen as well."_

_"Lillian?" Harry frowned as Lily set down a baby with dark red hair and green eyes; "This can't be right."_

_"Come on Neville," Lily held out her hand to the small boy, leading him over to the children already playing, "Neville, this is Draco," the blonde boy looked up and smiled before returning his attention to the dragon, "Hadrian, Arianna, and Helena," Helena was obviously the brown-haired girl, but…_

_"Who are her parents?" Harry muttered._

_"I think her mother is Bellatrix," Draco murmured back, "See? They both have dark, wild hair and grey eyes like most of the Black's."_

_Once the children were all settled in, Lucius raised a protective circle around them so that the adults could talk without having to worry about the children over-hearing, even though they really weren't old enough to understand._

_"I'm sure there's no need to tell everyone that what's said here cannot be repeated outside of this room," Tom began, "We have put wards up to insure our privacy. We are here to set up an organization to fight Dumbledore's influence in the wizarding world. We have named our group the Order of the Black Rose, for black roses are symbols of death and rebirth-the death of an old way of life and the birth of new."_

_"Albus Dumbledore is a great wizard and a beacon for the light," Augusta frowned, "Why would you want to oppose him, and why should we work with you? Albus has told us your feelings on Muggleborns."_

_"Albus Dumbledore is a fool," Severus scoffed, "not to mention a liar. He used the imperious curse on Tom back in sixth year, and he is spreading rumors that we are out to kill all Muggles, which is not true."_

_"That's right," Remus spoke up, smiling softly at Severus, "Tom has made us see that it is unfair for wizard children to be raised completely in the Muggle world; when they are finally brought into our world they are confused and at a disadvantage. We want to make it so that all magical children spend at least some time in the wizard world every year, starting at age five, and Muggleborn children without any wizards in their immediate family tree should start attending a summer camp at age seven or eight so that they can learn the basics and our traditions."_

_The memory went along the same vein for some time, with the wizards present making a compelling argument, and the Longbottoms nodded thoughtfully._

_"I agree with you," Augusta said after some time, and her son and daughter-in-law nodded, "We will join your cause to improve the lives of wizarding children and support you in the ministry. Now, the real problem is dealing with Dumbledore."_

The scene faded again, and then showed the Great Hall in Hogwarts, where the group was gathered at what was normally the Slytherin table, while Dumbledore and a group of other wizards-they must have been his supporters, because Harry recognized Arthur and Molly Weasley, Minerva McGonagall and a young-looking Kingsley, as well as Mad-Eye Moody-sitting at the teachers table.

_"I am very sorry it has come to this," Dumbledore said sadly, "You all have the potential to be very powerful, and we could accomplish much together, but I cannot allow you all to exist at odds with me."_

_"You cannot stop us," Tom said, "Not unless you plan to kill us all, women and children included."_

_"Yes, where are your beautiful children?" Dumbledore questioned, "I am surprised you didn't bring them."_

_"And expose them to you?" Lily scoffed, "We aren't stupid Dumbledore; we have someone we trust watching them."_

_"Of course," Dumbledore nodded, smiling, "Xenophilius and his wife Aracely must be watching them; how fortunate that the Molly sent her children over as well-along with Peter the two older boys can help keep track of Ron, Percy and the Twins, and before the day is out they will have a new baby sister."_

_"What are you planning?" Lucius demanded, "You leave our children out of this; they are innocent!"_

_"Yes, and at least some of them will stay that way," Dumbledore said pleasantly._

_"My babies," Elena gasped, "Come Lily; we have to go! Cissy, Bella, Alice-hurry!" The four women ran to the door, only to have it swing open to reveal Peter Pettigrew, a man Harry and Draco recognized as Filch, and a young Tonks accompanied by the six Weasley children, and the children belonging to the members of the Order of the Black Rose. When the parents tried to claim their children they were blasted back by a bright purple light; when the light vanished only the wizards on Dumbledore's side were still conscious._

_"Now we can get started," Dumbledore said, "I have the potions for everyone to take so that our memories will remain the same-except concerning the children-once the children are given to their new families I want them to be safe, so those memories will be altered. Now, first we shall take little Lillian; she already has red hair and I know you and Arthur have always wanted a daughter, so she will be the newest member of the Weasley family. What would you like to name her?"_

_"Ginerva Molly Weasley," Arthur said promptly, "We discussed it the last time Molly was pregnant."_

_"Very good," Dumbledore nodded, "Molly, why don't you bring your new daughter over here so we can get started." Molly quickly complied, and soon she and Arthur were standing in front of Dumbledore, holding Lillian Potter between them._

_"I don't like this," Harry muttered, and Draco had to fight against his new instinct to protect the brunette; he wrapped his arms around himself and replied, "Neither do I."_

_"We just need a drop of blood from each of you," Dumbledore held out a vial with a blue potion, and the Weasley's each added a drop of blood; he poured the potion into a baby bottle, and then woke up the sleeping child and used a compulsion spell to make her drink when she would have refused. Once the bottle was empty, the baby began to cry in pain._

"This is barbaric!" Draco said in disgust, "Kidnapping children; I always knew the Weasel's were dirt." Harry could only nod his agreement as he watched in horrified fascination the changes that overcame Lillian Potter-now Ginerva Weasley. Her hair lightened just a shade so that it was only slightly darker than the other Weasley children, and her bright green eyes darkened to brown.

_"Oh, she's perfect!" Molly cooed, and she and Arthur walked off a few paces to fawn over their new daughter. Harry and Draco watched as a Muggle couple was brought in, and Helena suffered the same fate, being blood-adopted to Muggles who had their memories changed to believe that she was always their child._

"That's Hermione," Harry frowned, "I-I recognize her parents."

_"We will let the Malfoy's keep their spawn," Dumbledore said, "We just need to alter their memories; young Neville can also stay with his parents, but we will give the Riddle boy to the Potter's so that he can be raised to despise the Dark Arts, and Elena and her daughter will be disposed of; it should offer a big enough shock so that we have an advantage over Tom." Dumbledore had his back to his unconscious enemies, so he didn't notice a number of them stirring; Tom and Elena, Narcissa and Lucius, Bellatrix, and Frank and Alice Longbottom seemed to have suffered less from the spell, and they shared a look, nodding briefly before acting. Dumbledore had no warning before Tom, Lucius, Frank and Bellatrix jumped up and began shooting hexes at the people surrounding Dumbledore; during the distraction Narcissa grabbed Draco, Alice grabbed Neville, and Elena grabbed her two children; the jarring motions had awoken the children, and they were all crying. The women made a run for it, Narcissa in the lead, but they had forgotten about Pettigrew; he sent a stunner which hit Narcissa in the back, and she fell to the ground, losing her grip on Draco._

_"Come Draco," Elena commanded, slowing down for a moment, "Come with me and we will get help for Mummy." The sobbing blonde nodded, and allowed Alice to swoop him up in her arms; they reached the potions classroom and found Slughorn there._

_"Stupefy me," he said, "I can't fight Dumbledore, but if you stupefy me you can use the floo in my office; Hurry!" Alice nodded and set Draco and Neville down, telling them to follow Elena who continued towards the office, and then stunned her old professor before putting a locking jinx on the door._

_"Take your children through first and then I will send Neville and Draco," Alice said, "Are you going to Potter Manor?"_

_"Yes," Elena nodded, "I will wait fifteen minutes and if you don't come through I will take the children to my parents in America." Alice nodded at this and gestured Elena to the fireplace; Alice tossed the floo powder in for her friend, and then Elena stepped in and stated her destination, disappearing with the twins._

_"Okay Draco," Alice knelt down so she was eye level with the blonde child, "Just step in and say 'Potter Manor'; Neville, hold tight to his hand." The two boys nodded at her with wide eyes, but obediently stepped into the fireplace after she threw the powder._

_"Potter Manor!" Draco said, looking frightened, and then the two boys were gone; seconds later the door was blasted open, and Dumbledore cast a hex at the witch, knocking her unconscious._

_"Stupid, idiotic…" he growled under his breath, "Pettigrew! Take her to the others!"_

_There was a brief fade out, and then Harry and Draco were back in the Great Hall, where the members of the 'Black Rose' had all been subdued; the Potter's, Severus, Remus and Regulus were awake by this time, and all were glaring at Dumbledore._

_"It didn't have to be this way," Dumbledore sighed, "But you all had to work against me; you must know that what I do is always for the Greater Good. No worries though; I will get this all sorted out, I just need to get Elena and the children brought back. Would you like to tell me where they went?" He was met with silence, to which he just smiled_, _"No matter; I'm sure she went to Potter Manor since it is the most protected and, luckily, I have the head of the Potter line here with me." He approached the bound James and withdrew a dagger which he used to make a long gash in his forearm; he captured the drops of blood in a vial and then walked away, leaving the wound open and bleeding. "I must leave immediately; Peter,-clean him up." He swept from the room and it faded into darkness again, before re-focusing on a sitting room where Elena was standing protectively in front of the four children they had rescued._

_"You made me chase you my girl," Dumbledore shook his head, "Flooing to Potter Manor and then apparating here; did you really think you could throw me off?"_

_"Don't do this!" Elena pleaded, "You're supposed to be the paragon of the Light, how can you kill an innocent child?"_

_"I must in order to protect our world from a greater evil," Dumbledore said, "I have all of your conspirators under my power again, and you won't be able to escape, so why not hand over the children and sacrifice your life like a good mother? If we fight I can't guarantee the safety of any of the children, but if you concede to me then only you and Arianna will have to be sacrificed, and I promise it will be painless. Can you really countenance putting other children in danger." Elena hung her head and Dumbledore smiled in victory._

_"No, I can't," she lifted her head and looked at Dumbledore with burning green eyes, "but neither can I allow you to kill my daughter. However…" she paused uncertainly for a moment, looking at the children behind her before meeting Dumbledore's gaze again; "I offer a compromise; you have no intention of killing the boys, correct?" Dumbledore nodded and Elena continued, "Very well; if you promise to do everything in your power to make sure that the boys_ _survive, then I will agree to an Obliviate-I will take Arianna with me and return to my family. I will even bring along one of those memory potions I know Slughorn created so that no one in my family remembers what happened; this way Arianna and I will be out of the way and you can concoct whatever story you wish." Dumbledore was silent in thought for a moment before nodding his agreement._

_"Very well," he agreed, "I will spare your lives, if you agree to leave and have your memories altered."_

_"I want an Unbreakable Vow," Elena said and Dumbledore nodded once again saying; "I will have to get someone to be our binder; I am going to ward the manor behind me, so don't try flooing or apparating out."_

_"I understand," Elena said, "I will be upstairs collecting anything that is important to my family." She waited for Dumbledore to vanish through the floo and then ran upstairs; she threw some items in a bag and then went over to a desk in the corner where she pulled out a number of leather-bound books that Harry assumed were journals and placed a charm on them, transfiguring them into pictures of her with three other children who were apparently her siblings. When she was done she went back downstairs and sat down amongst the children, pulling Hadrian and Arianna onto her lap and letting Neville and Draco lean up against her._

_"In just a little while things are going to change," she told the children, "I don't know how different it will be, but I hope that no matter what you stick together, because I sense you will need one another. And no matter what, remember that I love you, and your parents love you; do whatever you must to stay safe." She pressed a kiss to the top of each of the children's foreheads just as the whoosh of the fireplace announced Dumbledore's return; he stepped into the room followed by a tall blonde man who was carrying a little blonde girl in his arms._

_"I'm sorry about this Elena, but I have to do what I can to keep Aracely and Luna safe," the man said sadly, "I would help you if I could."_

_"I know," Elena replied, "and I don't hold it against you. Can we please just do this before my heart breaks?" Dumbledore nodded his assent and made an Unbreakable Vow to do everything in his power to keep Neville, Draco and Hadrian alive, and then he cast an Obliviate on Elena, giving her the command to take her daughter to America and forget about the other family she was leaving behind. He also handed her a potion and instructed her to give it to everyone in her family, and a moment later she vanished into the floo with baby Arianna._

_"Okay Xenophilius, let's get these boys back to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said cheerfully and the scene became fuzzy for a moment before clarifying to reveal the Great Hall once more. Dumbledore forced a potion down Hadrian's throat and then frowned when the baby didn't go through many changes; he hair lightened a shade to become dark brown instead of black, and his lips were fuller, but there were no other visible changes._

_"You're turn now Tom," Dumbledore smiled, "Ever heard of a horcrux my boy? No? Well, we're going to create one for you…or six. Bring them in Alastor." Moody brought in a group of Muggle children-"They're all orphans, living on the street Minerva; this really is kinder for them"- and a handful of objects, and Harry and Draco watched in disbelief as Dumbledore imperiused Tom, forcing him to murder a total of six children; as he did so a shaky McGonagall cast a spell, and each murder resulted in one of the objects on the table being enchanted. By the time the last child was dead, Tom was no longer the handsome young man they had been watching; his skin was white as death, his eyes a burning crimson, he has slits for nostrils, and a decidedly crazy look in his eyes._

_"From now on, Tom will be known as Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore announced, "Now is the most difficult part; Minerva, just as we discussed."_

_Minerva walked around the Great Hall casting spells as Dumbledore, Kingsley and Arthur Weasley began forcing potions down the other wizard's throats. When everything was done, Harry and Draco were surprised to see a small house in the Hall, where James and Lily were placed, along with Hadrian; once they were placed in the house, they seemed to come back to life, and the boys witnessed the events that everyone had been told happened October 31, 1981. James and Lily were sitting on the couch with Hadrian-Harry-and Tom (now Voldemort) blasted the door open; he killed James while Lily tried to run, and then cornered the red-haired witch who begged for Harry's life-she was hit with the killing curse, and then Voldemort aimed his wand at Harry, but a flash of blue light had the curse rebounding, and Voldemort was apparently destroyed, leaving baby Harry with the lightning bolt scar he was so famous for._

_"Now for dear Bella and the Longbottoms," Dumbledore trained his wand on Bella and Rodolphus, imperiusing each of them and making them Crucio Alice and Frank over and over again; Bella and Rodolphus broke free of the spell numerous times, but each time the curse was renewed until the Longbottoms lay in a broken heap on the floor and the Lestrange's had clearly lost their sanity as a result of being forced to curse their friends._

_"Yes, I think that will do it," Dumbledore nodded in satisfaction, "Now, I just need everyone to drink the potions Horace (Slughorn) made for us, and this nasty business will all be behind us. Tonight was a terrible tragedy, after killing innocent Muggles for years, Voldemort finally killed the Potter's and was destroyed by young Harry; Sirius had betrayed their location and he will rot in Azkaban along with the Lestranges, who tortured poor Alice and Frank into insanity, and poor Harry will be taken in by Lily's sister to be raised in safety until he is old enough to return to the wizarding world; Elena betrayed her husband, and Hadrian and Arianna never existed…"_ The memory went dark as everyone drank their potions, the captive members of the Black Rose being forced to drink theirs, and then Harry and Draco found themselves back in Draco's room.

*******Author's Note*****Well, this is longer than I had planned, that's for sure! I know it's a bit choppy, but they are doing a lot of memory-jumping, so I hope you like it and I hope it all makes sense. There will probably be more memories later in the story, but these were the most important at the time. I have already started on the next chapter, so if work permits it should be out in a few days. Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. 'Nuff Said.

Warnings: Abuse, Slash (MxM), Evil Dumbledore…possibly later.

Note: In my story Voldemort is going to be close in age to Lucius, Severus, the Marauder's, etc.

"Miss me Severus?" the potions master looked up at the drawling voice and smiled.

"Ah, Lucius, it's good to see you," Severus said, "I'm afraid Draco is busy at the moment, but perhaps you would be interested in hearing about Potter and why he's here?"

"That would be appreciated," Lucius sounded bored as he took the seat across from his old friend, "If our Lord wishes for me to be informed, that is."

"Of course I wish for you to be informed," Voldemort-now-Tom said drily, "I can't afford to have you bungling things up as usual, and things will be trying enough once the boys return from memory lane; no use in you upsetting Harry any further."

"And once the boys are done, you would also benefit from viewing the memories," Severus added, "Although you and I were affected less than some others, there are things you should know. Now, about Potter…"

Severus had just finished telling Lucius what Harry had gone through in the past twenty-four hours, and about his life with the Dursley's, when two loud gasps were heard from the bed and everyone looked over to see a pale Draco and a shaking Harry.

"Harry," Draco said softly, motioning for Severus to take the pensieve; he did so and motioned for Lucius to enter-with a glance at his master Lucius complied. "Harry, that was…terrible," Draco placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and felt relieved when he wasn't' pushed away, "Please talk to me; you can't keep this all in…"

"Can't," Harry muttered, shaking his head violently, "Can't talk; not real. Voldemort's not my father; James is my father. Can't be real; can't be real; can't be…" He began hyperventilating, unable to form anymore words.

"Calm down," Draco said soothingly, "We can-"

"Calm down?" Harry exploded, jerking away from Draco, "How can I calm down? Are you fucking insane Malfoy? I just found out that my whole life was a lie! Dumbledore stole me from my parents-who are alive! He forced my-he forced Tom to murder children, and murder the Potter's; he literally created Voldemort and put me in danger every day of my life! How can I calm down? Tell me Malfoy! Tell me!" He was screaming by now, and the room was shaking with the force of his magic; Draco knew he had to calm the other boy down, and fast.

"Harry!" He yelled, pushing the slightly smaller boy down so that he was lying down on the bed, flat on his back and Draco straddled his waist to keep him from escaping; "You need to calm the fuck down!" Harry tried to punch him, but Draco was prepared and quickly had both of Harry's wrists pinned in one hand while he tangled the other in his thick locks and yanked hard; Harry let out a cry of pain, but seemed to focus. "Pull you magic in before you kill us all," Draco commanded, and Harry nodded, closing his eyes in concentration as he obeyed, "Good; now-you need to try and remain calm so we can talk about this and figure it all out."

"O-okay," Harry said shakily, and Draco noticed his emerald eyes were filled with tears, "Y-you can let me go now."

"I don't think so," Draco shook his head, "I'm not letting go until I'm sure you won't freak out again."

"This is uncomfortable," Harry protested and Draco sighed; he sat up, pulling the Gryffindor into a sitting position and then rearranged them until they were sitting with Draco leaning against the head board; Harry was sitting in between Draco's legs, his arms in front of him with his wrists still trapped in one hand while his head was leaning back on Draco's shoulder with long, pale fingers carding through his hair. "Okay, now it's just embarrassing," Harry said.

"Tough," Draco retorted, "I need a way to keep you under control, so we will stay like this as long as we need to." He decided to keep the fact that he was incredibly turned on by the short Gryffindor in front of him a secret; now that Harry had a father, he would need to be careful not to anger the man.

"Are you boys settled then?" the Dark Lord asked in an amused voice and the boys nodded, Harry's face red with embarrassment; "Good; now we can talk about what you just saw. First, I guess…do you have any questions?"

"Are…are you really my father?" Harry whispered, and received a nod.

"Yes," Voldemort said, "I am your father, and I-I never wanted any of that to happen. What Dumbledore did to me…what he made me do…it damaged me, but watching those memories has helped me start to heal. It will still take time to heal completely, as I will need those damnable horcruxes to restore my soul, but eventually I should be…close to normal. In the meantime, I am having those close to me call me Tom again."

"And…after you are…restored?" Harry ventured, "Then what?"

"Well, I hope that you and I can start to build a relationship," Tom said slowly, "I know we have a lot of issues to overcome, but you're my son, and I want us to be a family. Also, I plan to start looking for your mother and sister, although it might be better to wait until Dumbledore is out of the way."

"I hate him," Harry seethed, "He ruined my life! And not only my life, but the lives of so many others! How did he change everyone's memory?"

"A mass potion," Severus said, "He had allies in the ministry, so all the beverages in the ministry and in the restaurants on Diagon Alley were spiked with it, and he also had it distributed to as many private residences as possible. The memory potion was created so that the one brewing it could infuse it with the memories they wanted everyone to have, and the victims would lose their original memories and be unable to gain them back unless they actually viewed the memories in a pensieve, as we have done. Many of those memories you viewed were stolen from Tom, Elena-"

"And other members of the Oder of the Black Rose," Draco interrupted, "Yes, Sev; I believe we were able to come to that conclusion ourselves."

"Hmmm, can you let me go now?" Harry asked, feeling as though he had to at least make a token protest, even though he was enjoying being petted; "I'm calm now."

"No," Draco said, "So stop complaining. My Lord-er, Tom-do you know where to start looking for Elena?"

"All I know is her family is somewhere in America," Tom replied, "Her father enjoyed moving around every couple of years, although she did mention that they have a family manor…I don't recall where it is though, as we hadn't had a chance to visit."

"So we need to do a lot of research," Draco mused, "Granger would come in handy for that; are you going to show her the memories, and if so will you be able to restore Bella's sanity?"

"I believe we will work on Bella first," Tom said thoughtfully, "Once she and Rodolphus have been restored we will get Miss Granger-"

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Harry said quietly, "I mean, as far as I know she was using me too, and Dumbledore has her convinced that you're all evil; she probably thinks I'm evil now as well." He closed his eyes to hold back the tears and was surprised when he felt soft lips press against his cheek, but Severus spoke before he could comment on it.

"We will have to take the chance," He said, "If Miss Granger is even half as smart as she acts then she will realize the truth. The real question is what to do about Ginny; she was raised to be a Weasley and she is one through and through."

"I think…I think she could be brought around too," Harry said, opening his eyes, "She is closer to the twins than anyone else, and I know they care about me; they tried to drop hints about Ron, but I just ignored it. Ginny is trying to be the daughter Molly wants her to be, but she's really not the sweet little girl she pretends to be at home. It would be easier to get to her at school however; I was going to ask for a re-sort, but maybe I should stay in Gryffindor for a while…"

"Absolutely not," Draco said, "I would much rather have you in Ravenclaw or even Hufflepuff than staying in the Lion's Den where you could be so easily betrayed."

"Don't worry; there's no way I would be a Hufflepuff," Harry assured him, "I already know where the Hat will place me; I should have let it do as it wanted in first year."

"Oh?" Severus arched his brow, "And where, pray-tell, did the Hat want to place you, and why did you wind up in Gryffindor instead?"

"Well, it wanted to place me in Slytherin," Harry said in a small voice, closing his eyes as he awaited the explosion; when none came he cautiously opened them and let out a small giggle as when he saw Severus and Tom's mouths open in astonishment before he continued, "So yeah; it wanted to put me in Slytherin, but from the time I entered the wizarding world I was told all Slytherin's were evil, so when the Hat wanted to put me there I begged it to place me somewhere, anywhere else, and it chose Gryffindor."

"Well it should have stuck with its original decision," Draco huffed, "I can't believe that a powerful enchanted object was swayed by an eleven year old! Powerful indeed!"

"Well, Hadrian _is_ my son," Tom smirked, "Outsmarting the Hat is proof of that. I'm not sure that Dumbledore will allow a re-sort though."

"He damn well better," Draco growled, "I don't care if I have to place _him_ under the imperious; he will not keep us separated any longer!" He narrowed his eyes; Harry was his, and there was no way he would let a barmy old man keep them apart.

"Why do you care so much?" Harry asked curiously, turning his head a bit and dislodging the fingers that were still combing through his dark locks, "We just found out we were evidently friends as children, but we spent the last six years hating each other."

"Hate is such a strong word," Draco said, "I never really hated you; I was jealous and beyond pissed when you rejected my hand in first year-must have been those repressed memories trying to give me a hint-but I never hated you. Over the past few hours I have come to see that I may care for you, at least a bit; I mean, I did spend a couple of hours saving your life-with a bit of help from Sev, of course."

"Oh yes; a bit of help from me indeed," Severus scowled at his godson, "If I remember correctly you flooed me in a panic when Potter-I suppose I should stop calling you that eventually-fainted and began bleeding."

"It was a lot of blood," Draco defended himself, "and I couldn't get it to stop."

"Well, thank you both," Harry said to forestall any further argument, "I'm sure you're both thrilled to have me owe you a life debt."

"Hmm, now that you mention it, I _could _use a personal slave," Draco mused, "House elves just don't know how to add those personal details that a wizard would…"

"My son is _not_ going to be your slave," Tom scowled, "You will come up with a reasonable request-both of you-and then declare the debt fulfilled."

"It's okay," Harry laughed, "I've never been scared of Malfoy before, and I don't intend to start being scared of him now. As for Severus…I believe he has already done his worst and…perhaps we can call a truce?" He looked up at his potions master hopefully and Severus nodded.

"Yes, I think a truce would be good at this point," he agreed, "Actually, you can fulfill your life debt to me by swearing here and now to forgive me all past transgressions and move forward as…well, let's begin as people who don't want to kill each other."

"Okay," Harry said eagerly, "Although, maybe we could change that to friends? Or student and mentor?"

"We'll start as student and mentor," Severus nodded, "now let's shake on it, and I declare your life debt absolved." They shook and Harry looked back at Draco.

"Well Malfoy? What do you want from me?"

"I need time to think on it," Draco replied petulantly, "I don't think I much like you having a father; it will make getting my way a bit more difficult if he interferes all the time."

"Get used to it," Tom said with amusement, "For I will be doing everything in my power to protect my son from now on. That reminds me; would you like to have the blood adoptions cancelled? And…you can begin using my name if you wish."

"I'd like that," Harry said softly, "What do we have to do?"

"You just take the antidote," Severus replied, "I always have several handy, and I brought a few with me; here-" He handed Harry a vial full of purple potion, and Harry knocked it back without a second thought. Moments after he swallowed the potion, his face contorted in pain and he spasmed in Draco's arms, but it only lasted about a minute, and when he looked up they noticed the minute changes to his features; his hair was shoulder length and darker now, black with red highlights when the sun hit it just right, and his face was a bit more angular, with an aristocratic nose, although he still had full lips, and his green eyes were the same as ever. Harry noticed that he was about an inch taller than before, although he was still going to be shorter than most of the guys his age, and he also realized he no longer needed glasses.

"Hadrian," Tom breathed, "Or do you still wish to go by Harry?"

"I…don't think I want to be Harry anymore," he replied, "So Hadrian it is. Since we're all starting over, maybe you and I could try being friends?" He looked at Draco hopefully and the blonde nodded.

"I knew you'd come to you senses eventually," Draco smirked, "I'm obviously a much better friend for you than the Weasel; so you can call me Draco, and I will call you Hades."

"Really? Hades? The god of the underworld?" Harry pouted, "What did I ever do to you? Why not just call me 'Ri?"

"Because I'm not that lazy," Draco sniffed.

"Do you boys have any more burning questions?" Tom asked, "Because if not I should leave; Severus has made a potion that temporarily restores my sanity, but it will wear off soon and I must wait a few hours to take another dose."

"Just one more," Hadrian said, "Umm…are you still going to attack Muggles and such? And what are we going to do about Dumbles and his Order of the Phoenix?"

"It would be best to speak of this later," Tom said, "I still have some bloodlust in me, and I don't think you would like my answer concerning Dumbledore."

"Well, as long as it involves him feeling the same pain we had to go through and ends with his death I have no complaints," Harry said, "Just as long as we don't go around killing innocent people."

"I think I can work with that," Tom smirked.

"What about the Weasley's?" Severus asked, "They helped cause a lot of your pain, and they assisted Dumbledore with kidnapping."

"I…I don't know," Harry frowned, "I know they deserve to be punished, but…I don't think I want them dead."

"Make them slaves once we've taken over," Draco suggested, "They can work off their crimes by serving those they have harmed. In fact, we can use that as a cover story for Har-er, I mean Hadrian; when we go back to school we can tell everyone I found him and tricked him into wearing this collar so that now he is my slave and then we will put about that this is how you plan to deal with all of your enemies rather than waste your time killing everyone."

"You just want an excuse to make me keep wearing the collar," Hadrian accused and Draco grinned.

"Maybe," he shrugged, "but that's my right, and not even your father will interfere unless I use it to harm you, especially since it will allow me to know where you are at all times and will bring you either back to the manor or to my side if you are ever in danger."

"That is useful," Tom mused, "Therefore I will not make you remove it, unless I feel that you are abusing your power too much."

"Too much?" Harry cried, "Why not interfere if he abuses his power at all?"

"Because he's a Slytherin and he won't be able to help abusing it some," Tom replied before fixing Draco with a glare; "If you cause any harm to my son, you will die. Now, I really must retire for a short time, but I will be back later; you boys should get some rest." With that said, Tom swept from the rooms, and a moment later they heard the floo.

"Well, that was…yeah," Hadrian said, "Ummm…am I staying here?"

"Of course," Draco replied, "My bed is more than big enough for the two of us."

"Oh, well, I actually just meant am I staying in your house," Harry corrected, "I wasn't trying to make you share your room with me." He blushed at the thought of sleeping in Draco's bed, and the blonde couldn't help but notice how cute he looked like that.

'I'll have to make him blush more often,' he mused before responding to Harry's previous comment.

"No sense in having a house elf fix up another room," Draco said nonchalantly, "Besides, I'd rather have you where I can keep an eye on you. Do you think Father will be in the pensieve much longer Sev?"

"I'm not sure," Severus replied, "There is a way to speed up the memories, and if he does that he should be out soon; I can move him now however-I trust you are going to take a nap?" Draco nodded, placing a hand over Harry's mouth before he could protest. "Good; I will levitate your father to the study down the hall and have him leave you in peace until supper. Make sure Pot-oh, Hadrian, rests; if he doesn't want to cooperate you can force-feed him this sleeping draught. I'll see you in a few hours." He nodded at the boys and then swept out of the room, Lucius and the pensieve floating along in a bubble in front of him; once Severus was gone Draco whispered something and the door swung closed.

"Ow!" Draco took his hand away when Hadrian bit him, "What was that for?"

"You covered my mouth," Hadrian replied, "I didn't like it."

"You can't just bite me every time I do something you don't like," Draco pouted.

"Why not?" Hadrian grinned, "If it works, it works."

"Well, maybe I'll just bite you back," Draco purred, rubbing his nose in the soft hair behind Hadrian's ear and smirking when the other boy shivered, "Then again, maybe you'd like that, hmmm?"

"D-don't," Hadrian said, pulling away and turning to face Draco, frowning at the blonde, "Look, I know we agreed to start over, but that doesn't mean I want you to be…flirting with me or whatever; I'm not even gay."

"Whatever you say," Draco smirked, "Why don't you go take a shower; it's right through that door there." He nodded at the ensuite, adding, "And you can borrow some of my clothes for now too; if the rags you're wearing now are any indication we need to take you out shopping sooner rather than later."

"Not my fault," Hadrian pouted, blushing, "I had to wear my cousin's old hand-me-downs; it would be nice to have my own clothes, although I don't know how it would feel to wear something that actually fits…"

"You'll get used to it," Draco said nonchalantly, propelling the brunette towards the bathroom and handed him a bundle of clothes, "I doubt you'll be allowed to go out today, however we might be able to go shopping tomorrow, and then you can buy me a birthday present; I turn sixteen the day after tomorrow."

"I'm not sure how I'll get to my money since Dumbledore is bound to be looking for me by now," Hadrian frowned, "Although I do need to talk to the goblins about Dumbledore stealing from me. Oh hell; I can't go out in public at all I'm sure the ministry is looking for me by now, and they'll send me back to my relative's! I can't go back; they'll kill me for sure!"

"Stop it Hadrian!" Draco made the other boy face him and then pushed him against the wall before pressing his hands to either side of the brunette's face, "Look at me Hadrian; look at me!" Hadrian forced himself to look into those grey eyes and saw that they were burning passionately; "They will _not_ make you go back to those criminals; Severus and your father won't let them and, more importantly, _I_ won't let them. You're mine now Hadrian and no one takes what's mine."

"Not yours," Hadrian said breathlessly, emerald eyes wide as Draco leaned closer, "Draco-"

"Oh, but you are," Draco said softly, "As long as you wear that collar you are mine." He pressed his lips against Hadrian's in a soft kiss; he got no response, but when he pulled back he noticed that Hadrian had a flush on his cheeks, "Also, I consider all of my friends to be "mine"; no one harms my friends without having to go through me, so no need to get so defensive. Now, are you feeling better?"

"Y-yes," Hadrian said, still blushing, "I'm sorry I keep freaking out on you; I would thank you for helping me calm down, but it seems you always have to embarrass me when doing so."

"I'm glad to help," Draco smiled, "And seeing you blush is just a bonus." He laughed at Hadrian's glare and gave him a gentle shove towards the bathroom; "Now, go take your shower and then you need to rest as Severus directed." Hadrian rolled his eyes but entered the bathroom none-the-less and got under the shower.

When the hot water hit his skin Hadrian let out an involuntary moan at the way it felt; his relative's hadn't abused him much over the summer until the night before due to their fear of the Order members, but they made his life miserable in other ways-limiting the number of showers he could take being one of them. If he remembered correctly, it had been about four days since his last shower, so this was a luxurious feeling for him. He took his time washing his hair and scrubbing himself clean as he thought about what he found out.

First, Dumbledore betrayed him, as did his friends, apparently. Second, his animagus form was a black tiger, which was supposedly rare-he shrugged, not really knowing what to think about that and continued with his thoughts. He discovered that the collar basically made him Malfoy-Draco's-pet, and that everything he'd ever heard about his childhood was a lie; he had parents and a sister who were alive, and his father was Voldemort-Tom Riddle! Not to mention he had started to have strange feelings around Draco, noticing the way the sunlight made his pale hair look like a halo and how warm his eyes could be…

Hadrian shook the image from his head and climbed out of the shower; he wasn't gay! He was just…stressed and…well, he didn't know exactly, but he did know he wasn't gay. He comforted himself with this thought as he dried off and got dressed. When he went back into the bedroom all thoughts left him as he saw Draco sitting on the window seat-shirtless and bathed in sunlight. He gulped as his eyes trailed over the Slytherin's quidditch-toned upper body, blushing furiously when said blonde turned towards him with a smirk.

"See something you like?" he teased as he walked towards the other boy, "I must say Hadrian, you look good in my clothes, even if they are a little big on you; let me fix that." With a wave of his wand the black trousers and green shirt were re-sized to fit Hadrian, and Draco took his hand, pulling him towards the bed, "Okay; nap time."

"I'm not a bloody five year old," Hadrian protested, "You don't need to hold my hand, and I don't need a nap. Also, could you maybe put a shirt on?"

"I'm more comfortable like this when sleeping," Draco responded, "Also, I like holding your hand, and Sev said you need a nap, so you're at least going to lay here and relax; remember-he gave me a potion to use if you don't cooperate."

"Fine," Hadrian huffed, climbing back into the ridiculously soft bed muttering the whole while, "Can't believe everyone's telling me what to do, and I have to listen Malfoy of all people; stupid git."

"What was that?" Draco inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," Hadrian replied sweetly, "If I have to rest I might as well get it over with." He lay down, scooting all the way to the edge when Draco made himself comfortable on the other side of the bed.

"For Merlin's sake," Draco rolled his eyes and grabbed Hadrian by his wrist, pulling him further onto the bed, "I'm not going to rape you in your sleep Hadrian; stop being so melodramatic." Hadrian's only response was to stick his tongue out and roll over on his side, facing away from Draco to hide his blush. Despite his arguments about not being tired, it only took the brunette a few minutes to fall asleep, not feeling Draco's watchful eyes on his back. Draco waited until Hadrian's breathing was slow and even, and then carefully pulled the other boy closer, arranging them so that Hadrian's head was on his chest; if Hadrian hadn't been so exhausted he definitely would have woken up, but as it was Draco was able to wrap the other boy and hold him in a secure embrace. He couldn't explain why he wanted Hadrian to be so close to him, but he just couldn't help himself, and it felt so right…with that happy thought, Draco drifted off into a light slumber, a small smile gracing his face.

*******Author's Note*****Another chapter up; yay! Thanks once again to everyone who reviewed! I look forward to hearing what you think about this chapter; until next time!**


	6. Author's Note

Author's Note: Since is going through and reviewing stories for removal, I have decided to move my stories to ; I have already moved this story, and I will be uploading the rest of them shortly. If my stories wind up getting pulled you can find me under the same pen name "GeminiFaerie" on adult fan fiction. net; regardless of what happens, I hope you all continue to follow my work!


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. 'Nuff Said.

Warnings: Abuse, Slash (MxM), Evil Dumbledore…possibly later.

Note: In my story Voldemort is going to be close in age to Lucius, Severus, the Marauder's, etc.

"Dumbledore must die," Severus looked up from his notebook as Lucius spoke, "What that bastard did to everyone…When can we kill him?" After leaving Draco's room Severus had moved Lucius to sit on the couch in the same study which he had flooed into earlier, and Severus himself was sitting at the desk reviewing the notes he had been making since he discovered the truth last night.

"Well, Hadrian feels that the headmaster deserves to suffer before he is granted release in death," Severus replied, "and our master, Tom, seems to agree with him whole-heartedly. We have a long ways to go before we take on Dumbledore however; reversing the damage caused when Tom was forced to create those horcruxes should be our number one priority."

"I suppose I can understand that," Lucius said reluctantly, "But how do you plan to do that? I always thought that once the soul was separated there was no way to repair the damage."

"That has held true in the past," Severus admitted, "However I am working on a potion to separate the soul from the horcrux without destroying the soul; once we have the soul separated we should be able to put it back in Tom's body, only I am not certain if I should use another potion for that or a spell."

"Get Cissa to help," Lucius suggested, "She was always better at this than me; the two of you working together should be able to resolve this issue in no time."

"Perhaps," Severus said non-committally, "I will discuss it with her when she returns from France this evening; perhaps I should owl her to return earlier?"

"I have missed her," Lucius smiled wistfully, "and I can only imagine how angry she would be if we don't contact her right away."

"Very well," Severus took out a clean sheet of parchment from one of the desk drawers and penned a swift note to Narcissa, "Would you summon a house elf to get this sent off?"

"All you have to do is seal it and it will be taken care of," Lucius replied, so Severus placed the parchment in an envelope and sealed it with the sealing wax provided; he pressed the Prince family ring into the wax and the letter immediately vanished.

"Excellent," Lucius nodded, "Now, what is going on with my son and Harr-I mean, Hadrian? Draco seemed to be very worried about him when they came out of the memories."

"I believe that the veela blood in your family is becoming dominate in Draco," Severus informed him, "He has been acting protective towards Hadrian all day, and while you were in the pensieve he was…well, he was essentially cuddling Hadrian to keep him calm."

"You think Draco will come into a creature inheritance on his birthday," Lucius stated and Severus nodded, "And with the way he is acting…you believe Hadrian to be his mate."

"I do," Severus confirmed, "However, as I informed Draco we won't know anything for certain until after his birthday; we may even have to wait for Hadrian's birthday to know for sure if they are mates."

"Let me see them together and I will be able to tell if they are mates," Lucius said confidently, "I was not required to have a mate, but I do still have some veela senses."

"Well, the boys are napping at the moment," Severus informed him, "And I believe we should let them be for an hour or so; Hadrian especially needs to have a chance to recharge after the stress of what he's been through and all that he has learned today."

"And we need to get him in touch with Gringotts so he can block Dumbledore from accessing his funds," Lucius frowned, "Hadrian is currently under the legal custody of his Muggle relatives; we must find a way to change that as well. Since Hadrian will not be seventeen for another year he will need to have another guardian appointed."

"We should speak to Tom about this and get his opinion," Severus said, "If only we had a way to get Sirius back…"

"I still can't believe Dumbledore pulled that little trick off," Lucius drawled, "It was rather sneaky of him; now that we know where Sirius is, perhaps we can devise a way to bring him back."

"Another item on our already-long list of things to do," Severus sighed, "Even getting the mutt back, we would still have to clear his name in order for Hadrian to be given over to his custody; perhaps Tom would be willing to turn Pettigrew over to the ministry now that we know he helped create this entire mess."

"That would be the best solution for now," Lucius nodded, "However, we must make sure he sees the pensieve memories as soon as he is brought back-or even before then if possible. Once the Dark-I mean, Tom, returns we can discuss how to go about retrieving Sirius. We need to make a list of our priorities."

"Already done," Severus smirked, "Number one is to restore Tom's sanity, Two is to clear Sirius's name and bring him back or find another guardian for Hadrian, and Three is to restore the memories of Bellatrix and her husband; there are of course other things we need to accomplish, but those three should suffice for now."

"We also need to get Hadrian access to his vaults and make sure Dumbledore can't steal any more money from him," Lucius said thoughtfully, "I will write a letter to Gringotts and have a representative come here in about two hours so that we can at least get that taken care of. Do you have any idea of how to locate the horcruxes?"

"I believe we can use Hadrian," Severus said, "I have been reviewing those memories myself, and I believe that when Dumbledore forced Tom to curse Hadrian it made him into a horcrux as well; the potion I am developing will allow us to remove Tom's soul from Hadrian without causing the boy harm, but in the meantime there is a spell where you can use one horcrux to locate others."

"Are you going to tell Hadrian that you believe him to be a horcrux?" Lucius asked curiously.

"I was going to ask Tom his opinion first," he replied, "Hadrian seems to have a tendency to panic when he gets unwelcome news;" he frowned, "I can only assume that the abuse he recently received from his relatives is causing that reaction, as he has not been prone to panic attacks in the past."

"We will have to take care of these relatives of his as well," Lucius narrowed his eyes, "For Muggles to treat a Wizard in such a way…hell, for anyone to abuse a child in their care is unacceptable! They must be made to pay for their actions." Before Severus could reply they were interrupted by the "whoosh!" of the fireplace activating, and moments later Narcissa stepped out, her pale blue eyes scanning the room quickly before coming to rest on her husband.

"Lucius," she smiled softly; Lucius quickly got to his feet and opened his arms as Narcissa glided over to him, her pale blue eyes shining with happiness. They embraced for a moment before pulling away and sitting down side-by-side on the couch, Narcissa leaning against her husband slightly. "I'm so glad you're home; how did you get out?"

"Tom arranged a breakout," Lucius replied; Narcissa tilted her head to the side slightly, looking at him with a steady gaze-this was her way of showing confusion, so Lucius continued to explain, "A lot has happened recently, and Severus uncovered some lost memories which have changed many things. Severus, I am going to take Cissa through the memories; can you send a letter off to Gringotts regarding Hadrian's accounts? You may use the Malfoy seal so that it will receive a quick response."

"Of course Luca," Severus replied, easily slipping into using the old nickname, "I will also look into guardianship options to discuss with Tom when he returns. Do you still have rooms set aside for me?"

"Always," Narcissa smiled, "But you don't have to leave; I'm sure you already know what Lucius has to tell me."

"Yes," Severus nodded, "however I feel that you will need you privacy, therefore I will go to my rooms and return in about an hour." He gave a brief nod to his friends and then left the sitting room; his rooms were just a few doors away as they had been given to him when his godson was still young.

When he arrived in his room he immediately sat down to compose a letter to Gringotts, requesting that the goblin handling the Potter Vaults be at Malfoy Manor in two hours, and cautioning them to keep the meeting a secret. Once that was taken care of, Severus took out his notes on horcruxes; there were very few written works about them, and all the information was spread out so that it was hard to gather it in one place, however Severus had an extensive book collection and owned the only book completely dedicated to the evil objects, which was part of a series dedicated to obscure and un-tried magic-oddly enough, the series was authored by Mathias Gryffindor and his wife, Lorena Ravenclaw-Gryffindor. (When Severus had first received the series as a gift from Lucius several years ago, he had discovered that Mathias was Godric Gryffindor's grandson, and Lorena was Rowena Ravenclaw's grand-niece; Mathias had been disowned by his family for his foray into the dark arts, but-as the Ravenclaw family valued knowledge above all else-they were taken in by Lorena's family until they were able to support themselves.)

The books had a lot of information not listed anywhere else; it didn't just give information on creating horcruxes, but it gave details on many other dark rituals, some of which the authors had created themselves. The books were also the only copies in existence, and were handwritten, never-before-published, and had personal notes by Lorena and Mathias. One passage in book about horcruxes held his interest; the handwriting was smooth and delicate which he had come to recognize as belonging to Lorena, and the passage read:

"Horcruxes are believed to be objects of utmost evil as they are created by ripping ones soul apart during the act of murder and sealing it within an object holding great value to the one casting the spell. In reality, one does not have to be evil to create a horcrux; many wizarding duels are to the death, and you can have a friend stand by ready to recite the spell on your behalf; it is not evil to desire an eternal life with those you love.

Mathias and I have both created horcruxes during duels with those who desired to kill us-unlike witches and wizards in the past who have only created a single horcrux, we have each created three, and we have not lost our sanity or our love for one another. We have, however, discovered that separating the soul makes it difficult to conceive, and so we have begun the process of re-uniting our souls. A couple that we are friends with, Amadeo Prince and Serilia Peverell-Prince, have been assisting us with our research and together we have developed a potion to remove the soul from a horcrux, however we have not been able to return the soul to its original vessel. (Potion is in Mathias' Book 5). Serilia and I have theorized that a ritual will be needed to restore the soul; however we seem to be missing a key element. In one weeks' time we will be meeting with Serilia's mother, who is a natural at creating rituals; with luck, perhaps we shall be able to come up with a solution soon."

The book listed, Mathias' Book 5, was in Severus' collection, however it was in a language he had never before read; the remainder of the book on horcruxes was written in the same language, and so Severus was somewhat stuck as to what he should do next. Perhaps he would show the books to Tom; if Tom did not recognize the language, it would be time to pay a visit to the library, or maybe one of the shops down Knocturn Alley…

Severus was still musing over this when a sharp tapping at his window disturbed him; looking up, he was annoyed to see Fawkes flying outside, holding a scroll that was evidently from Dumbledore. With a scowl Severus waved the window open, and Fawkes dropped the scroll on his desk before taking up perch on the window sill. With a sigh Severus opened the scroll and quickly scanned it;

"Severus,

I have been trying to get in touch with you since early this afternoon, but you have not responded; I do hope you have not been injured. It is of utmost importance that you contact me or return to Hogwarts as soon as you are able; the note that I received last night was from Harry Potter, and I believe he may be in trouble and need our assistance. You are the only one I can fully trust with this Severus, so please respond promptly; if you are injured or in danger Fawkes can bring you to me.

Sincerely,

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Supreme Mugwump and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Severus threw the scroll down with a sneer; Harry may be in trouble indeed! _Hadrian_ had been in trouble, but that was Dumbledore's doing. The manipulative old bastard wasn't worried for Hadrian's safety-he was worried that the boy would escape his influence and stop being his pawn. Severus had no desire to see Dumbledore, but he knew he needed to pretend that he still believed in the headmaster. With a sigh he gracefully stood from his chair and turned to face the Phoenix.

"I must give Narcissa an excuse as to why I am leaving so suddenly," he announced, "However I shall return to the school as soon as I am able; it should be no more than twenty minutes." Fawkes gave him a knowing look-Severus was sure that the damn bird knew more than he was letting on-and trilled softly before taking flight and disappearing past the wards. Once the phoenix was gone, Severus closed the window and summoned a house elf.

"Wispy!" a moment later the house elf appeared, bowing and offering assistance, "I am about to return to Hogwarts; in thirty minutes if I am not back I want you to take this scroll to Lucius, and tell him where I have gone and that I will return as soon as possible. Also inform him that I sent the letter off to Gringotts, and give him these notes." He handed the scroll from Dumbledore and his notes about the books by Mathias and Lorena to the house elf and commanded her to leave. Once he was alone once again Severus made sure his Occlumency shields were in place and made his way downstairs and out the front door until he reached the end of the anti-apparition wards and apparated to Hogsmeade, dreading the meeting to come.

"Ah, Severus my boy!" Dumbledore greeted him, "I'm so glad you could make it; tell me, are you alright?"

"I am indeed," Severus replied, "I apologize for being unreachable for so long, however I had an emergency to help Mr. Malfoy with. Now, what's this about Potter being in danger?" He scowled for effect, "It's barely even summer; I shouldn't have to worry about him for another few months, at least. Did he use un-authorized magic again?"

"No, nothing like that," Dumbledore assured him, "and I am sorry to interrupt your summer, however Harry has gone missing; he sent me a letter and evidently he got into an argument with his cousin Dudley-his cousin desired to hurt Harry and so told him that I paid Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger to befriend him and also that I condoned the Dursley's un-welcoming behavior."

"Let me guess," Severus sneered, "the brat believed him? After everything that has been done for him he chooses to believe some angry words thrown at him by another child rather than his own experiences; I'm assuming he ran away?"

"Yes," Dumbledore sighed, "I spoke to his relatives, and they told me that Harry has been depressed ever since he came home, likely due to the loss of Sirius. Harry and Dudley got into an argument over something-they aren't sure what-and Harry began mocking Dudley about being overweight and the way he had passed out when they encountered Dementors last summer. Dudley retaliated by telling him those lies I just informed you of, and Harry lost his temper; he somehow knocked his relatives unconscious and then ran away, taking his belongings with him. Before leaving he sent a letter to me as well as letters to Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger, accusing us of betrayal and saying that he would never trust us or work with us again. Hedwig delivered the letters and then vanished; we have been unable to locate either her or Mr. Potter, and I am worried that he has fallen into danger."

"Well, I actually am aware of Mr. Potter's whereabouts," Severus said, "That was the emergency I was dealing with at Malfoy Manor. After he left his relatives Mr. Potter seems to have come into some danger, and somehow wound up on the grounds of Malfoy Manor-"

"And you left him there?" Dumbledore's eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

"I had no choice," Severus replied, "I am not sure how he knew of this tradition, but when Draco came across Potter the boy requested sanctuary, and Draco was compelled to grant it; as long as Potter does no harm to any of the Malfoy family he cannot be harmed while on their property. Draco floo called me to tend to Potter's injuries, however when I offered to bring Mr. Potter either here or to St. Mungo's, they both flew into a panic and Draco threatened to ban me from the property; if I had attempted to remove Potter forcefully the magic called into existence when he invoked the right of Sanctuary would have forced me out of the house and I would not be able to return."

"Well, at least he is safe," Dumbledore sighed, "You did the right thing Severus; do what you can to stay on Mr. Malfoy's good side, and perhaps you can even earn Harry's trust enough to at least convince him to speak to his friends again; if we can get him out of the Manor's wards we can bring him back under our …protection."

'You mean control,' Severus mentally rolled his eyes but nodded his agreement.

"There is one other thing I needed to tell you," he said, "Just before Fawkes found me, Lucius returned to the manor; it seems the Dark Lord has freed some of his followers, although Lucius was not sure who exactly had been freed as he was sent home immediately. I did verify that Harry is still safe; even Lucius cannot break the protection spells when Sanctuary is requested and then granted; I have offered to stay at the manor, ostensibly to help Lucius, but in reality I will ensure that Potter comes to no harm."

"Very well," Dumbledore nodded, "Stay with the boys as much as possible, and report to me when you can. Since Mr. Malfoy agreed to protect Harry, perhaps we can use that to turn him to our side; try to convince him to join us, but do not alienate him. Go now, and keep me informed."

"Of course Headmaster," Severus agreed, "I will speak to you again within the week to let you know how things are going." With a final curt nod, Severus left the headmasters office and began the walk to Hogsmeade to he could apparate back to Malfoy Manor.

"I can't believe it," Narcissa said softly, sagging against her husband as they left the pensieve; silent tears were streaming down her face; "Dumbledore has caused so much pain…destroyed so many lives…poor Tom! And Harry…Hadrian…do you think he's alright? Dumbledore left potions and gave those Muggles permission to abuse him and bind his magic!"

"Hush Love," Lucius held her tightly, "Dumbledore will get his, never fear, and Severus has already begun working on a way to get Tom back. Tom himself has viewed the memories and recalled what happened, and he is fighting to hold back the insanity. As for Hadrian, he was injured by his relatives, however he is here now, and safe with Draco."

"With Draco?" Narcissa questioned, lifting one elegant brow as she quickly dried her tears, "And why would he be with our son?"

"Because Hadrian ran away from his relatives and somehow found his way here," Lucius smirked, "It seems a lot happened while our son was here by himself, but I will tell you what I know. Evidently the Muggles did give Hadrian the potion to bind his powers and then he was beat severely, but Hadrian managed to get a hold of the pain relief and healing potions and then got a friend to help him escape. This friend brought Hadrian a collar to turn him into his animagus form, shrank Hadrian's belongings, and brought him to the woods just beyond our wards, where Hadrian spent the night in a tree. Earlier this afternoon he came onto our grounds in search of food, and Wispy found him; she alerted Draco who released Hadrian from his animagus form and then brought him upstairs where the boy passed out. Draco noticed he was bleeding rather heavily and summoned Severus for help, Severus had to go to Riddle Manor for some potions and provided Tom with the memories we just viewed before healing Hadrian, and then when Tom came here Hadrian and Draco viewed the memories. According to Severus Hadrian had a few meltdowns which Draco brought him out of, and now the boys are taking a nap."

"The boys saw all that?" Narcissa gasped, "I don't think that was a very wise idea, do you Lucius?"

"The boys were already in the pensieve when I arrived," Lucius explained, "However I believe that it is good for them to know the truth; they are both approaching adulthood, and it would be wrong to treat them as children-also, Draco and Hadrian have put their past behind them and agreed to start over as friends. Oh, and the collar Hadrian is wearing? It is a Black Family heirloom."

"Oh," Narcissa shook her head with a small smile, "Let me guess; Draco activated it, and now Hadrian is under his control?"

"To a certain extent," Lucius replied, "Although Tom has made sure Draco knows not to abuse his power too much. I am just wondering how Hadrian came to be in possession of the collar."

"Dobby," Narcissa replied promptly, "If Hadrian felt like he couldn't trust any of his friends, he would likely call on the house elf; Draco said that Dobby has been very loyal to Hadrian ever since he freed him."

"That makes sense," Lucius nodded; at that moment their house elf Wispy appeared, holding a scroll and a notebook.

"Begging Master's pardon," Wispy squeaked as she bowed, "Master Severus told Wispy to be bringing these to Master Lucius. Master Severus is having to go speak to Dumbledore, and Master Severus also said he sent letter to goblins."

"Thank you Wispy," Lucius gave a curt nod as he accepted the scroll and the notebook, "Make sure tea is ready in about an hour. That is all."

"Yes sir!" Wispy bowed and popped out of the room as Lucius unrolled the scroll, Narcissa leaning close to read over his shoulder.

"I wonder what Severus will tell him," Narcissa mused, "He'll have to let him know that Hadrian is here, otherwise Dumbledore will never trust him when he eventually finds out, but he has to make up something to explain why he can't make Hadrian leave…"

"I'm sure he'll come up with something believable," Lucius said distractedly as he read through the notebook, "These are Sev's notes on horcruxes; I gave him a series of books for Christmas a few years ago, and it seems they have a lot of information on things that are considered Dark Arts. Not only that, but it says here that they were written by Godric Gryffindor's grandson Mathias, and Rowena Ravenclaw's grandniece Lorena; they describe Dark Rituals and potions, but they also list ways to reverse them. It seems Mathias and Lorena both created horcruxes and were trying to develop a way to reunite the soul with its original vessel, but Severus said the potions book and parts of the other books are written in some language he doesn't recognize…"

"When he gets back perhaps we can have a look at the books," Narcissa suggested, "You never know, we may recognize the language. Now, how long have the boys been sleeping?"

"About an hour or so," Lucius replied, "Probably long enough, but before you wake them there is one other thing you should know; Severus said Draco is showing signs of coming into his Veela inheritance on his birthday, and he suspects that Hadrian may be Draco's mate."

"Oh, how exciting!" Narcissa smiled, "Hadrian would be a wonderful match for Draco! Do you remember how we tried to get Elena and Tom to agree to an arranged marriage?"

"Yes," Lucius returned the smile, "but we would have chosen Arianna; it's a good thing they didn't agree to it. Of course, we won't know for sure if they are mates until after they turn sixteen."

"I miss Elena," Narcissa said, "And Lily too; what are we going to do about Bella?"

"We are going to work on getting her memories back," Lucius assured her, "Severus has apparently already made a list of things to do, starting with restoring Tom's soul, finding a way to get Sirius back, and restoring Bella to her former self. Once we can ensure their safety from Dumbledore, Tom intends to locate Elena as well."

"There's so much to do," Narcissa murmured before shaking her head softly, "I am going to wake the boys; shall we meet you on the veranda? It's a lovely day and I think Hadrian would enjoy sitting outside while we talk and have tea."

"That sound fine dear," Lucius agreed, "I will stay here for a few more minutes and wait for Severus."

"No need," Severus said as he entered the room, "The meeting with Dumbledore didn't take as long as I expected; were you planning to relocate this meeting?"

"Yes," Narcissa replied, "I am going to wake the boys so we can talk on the veranda. I shall meet you two out there in a few moments." She gave Lucius a kiss on the cheek and swept gracefully from the room.

"Before we go outside," Lucius began, "Would you be willing to get the books you have been researching out of your rooms? I would like to take a look and see if I recognize the language they are written in."

"Of course," Severus replied, "Do you want to come with me?"

"No, I think I shall take a shower first," Lucius said, "Tom cast a cleansing charm when he freed me, but it just isn't the same. I'll meet you outside shortly." Severus nodded and the two men went their separate ways.

It only took Narcissa a few moments to make the short walk from the sitting room down to her sons room, and then she was quietly opening the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of the boys before they awoke; what she saw made her sigh and smile softly; Draco was sleeping on his back his pale hair-which he had begun growing out so that it was now chin-length-spread out around his head, and Hadrian lay nearly on top of him, his head resting on Draco's shoulder. Both boys were smiling in their sleep, and Draco had his arms wrapped around Harry possessively. Narcissa closed the door again quietly and then knocked before opening it again.

"Draco darling," She called softly as she entered the room, "It's time for you and Hadrian to get up now." Hadrian grumbled a little and nuzzled into Draco's neck; Draco responded by turning his head to the side and kissing Hadrian on the top of the head. "Draco," Narcissa called again, a bit louder this time, "Wake up now." She drew her wand and opened the heavy draperies further, causing the sunlight to fall onto Draco's closed eyes. The blond frowned and fidgeted restlessly before slowly opening his eyes; when he felt the weight on his chest Draco looked down at the brunet and smiled, before raising his eyes to see Narcissa standing at the foot of the bed.

"Mother," he smiled, shifting Hadrian in his arms, "When did you get home?"

"About an hour ago," Narcissa replied, "Your father filled me in on everything, and we are all heading out to the veranda to discuss this situation; I thought you and Hadrian would want to join us."

"First he needs to wake up," Draco said drily before carding his fingers through the other boys hair, "Hadrian; wake up. Come on Hades." He shook the brunet lightly and Hadrian frowned as he slowly returned to consciousness;he opened his eyes and yawned- it was when he attempted to stretch that he realized the positions he was in.

"Oh, sorry Draco," Hadrian mumbled as he tried to pull away, frowning when the other boy wouldn't let him go, "Draco; let me go."

"Mmm, but I'm so comfortable right now," Draco replied, his grey eyes sparkling mischievously, squeezing him a little tighter.

"Stop teasing him Draco," Narcissa chided, smiling at Hadrian when he finally noticed her and blushed.

"Oh, hello Mrs. Malfoy," he said quietly, squirming in Draco's arms, "Umm, sorry to show up without being invited-"

"Nonsense," Narcissa interrupted, "And call me Narcissa, or Cissa. Draco Lucius Malfoy; I thought I told you to stop teasing him and let him up." She turned a glare on her son, who pouted but released Hadrian none-the-less. "Good; now get dressed and meet us outside; and Draco? Don't tease Hadrian so much."

"Yes Mother," Draco pouted as he climbed out of bed, "We'll be out shortly." Narcissa smiled and left as quietly as she had come in.

"I really wish you would stop embarrassing me," Hadrian muttered as he turned to look out the window while Draco changed clothes.

"It's not my fault you get embarrassed so easily," Draco replied, "Although, you do look cute when your face is all flushed."

"And stop saying things like that!" Hadrian fought back a blush, "I already told you I'm not gay and it makes me uncomfortable when you flirt with me."

"Yet I woke up with you sleeping on my chest," Draco pointed out, neglecting to mention the fact that he had maneuvered them into that position while Hadrian slept; that was a minor detail in his opinion, and Hadrian hadn't moved away or even acted uncomfortable until he awoke, so on some level Hadrian must have liked it. "You can turn around now Hadrian, and here's a robe for you to wear."

"No way," Hadrian protested as he turned around, "I am not…" he trailed off and gulped as he looked at Draco; the blond was wearing a pair of black slacks with a silver button up shirt that clung to his abs and a dark blue robe over it all. Licking his lips Hadrian cleared his throat and tried again, "I'm not wearing a robe Draco; it's bad enough I have to wear these uncomfortable clothes instead of jeans and a t-shirt. No all of us feel the need to prance around in expensive clothes all day." The outfit Draco had leant Hadrian was similar to his own, except Hadrian's shirt was dark green to match his eyes.

"That was rude," Draco narrowed his eyes at the brunet, "Very rude, and also uncalled for." He paused thoughtfully for a moment before smirking, "Remember that collar you're wearing? If I give you an order you have to obey it, or the collar will cause you varying degrees of discomfort or pain, depending on the order. Do you want me to have to command you to put the robe on?"

"You wouldn't," Hadrian glared and Draco's smirk widened.

"I definitely would," he replied, "Just try me." He held out a silver robe, gazing calmly at Hadrian who finally sighed and slipped it over his shoulders.

"Stupid manipulative Slytherin bastard," Hadrian muttered as he followed Draco to the door,

"I am not a bastard," Draco slapped his arm, "and if things go according to plan you'll be a Slytherin too when school starts back."

"True," Hadrian nodded, "But I won't be a stupid slimy Slytherin git; I'll just be a normal Slytherin."

"Sure, whatever you say Hades," Draco laughed, linking arms with the other boy as they walked down the hall, "Come on; if Mother has to come back up to get us it won't be pleasant. Have you decided which classes you're taking this year?"

The boys talked about innocuous subjects until they reached the veranda, where Severus and Narcissa were already sitting down, talking softly as they looked at a couple of books.

"Where is Father?" Draco asked, "And what are you looking at?" He took a seat next to Severus, motioning for Hadrian to sit next to him.

"Your father decided he needed a shower as cleansing charms are not good enough for him," Severus said drily, "He should be down soon. We are going through some books you father gave me a few years ago; they are first-hand accounts of how to perform certain rituals and also how to reverse them." He held up one of the books, which looked very old, and said, "This one deals exclusively with horcruxes; the authors each created three horcruxes and they recorded the details of the ritual and their experiences."

"Severus thinks that we can use this to restore Tom's soul," Narcissa added, "Only the information we need is written in a language neither of us is familiar with, and this potions book is written in that same language."

"That sounds interesting," Hadrian said, "Can I see one of the books?" Severus nodded and handed the horcrux book over to Hadrian; he flipped it open to the table of contents and Draco stood up so he could read over his shoulder, resting his elbows on Hadrian's shoulders. The two boys read through the book together, flipping through the pages and barely even looking up when Lucius joined them.

"Look," Draco murmured, pointing to the passage Severus had read earlier, "They created three horcruxes but didn't go insane; the only problem they came across was not being able to have children."

"Yeah," Hadrian nodded, as he turned to the next page, "but look; Serilia's mom helped them come up with a ritual to be used with the potion Mathias created so that they could restore their souls."

"What are you talking about?" Draco demanded, "I can't even read this page; this is where they start writing in that strange language Sev was talking about."

"Um, no," Hadrian said slowly, tilting his head back to look at Draco, "This is written in English, just as plain as the rest of the information." Draco gave him a look that plainly said he thought he was crazy, but then became thoughtful.

"Can you read it out loud for me?" he asked, "Not paraphrase, but actually read it."

"Okay," Hadrian shrugged and began reading;

"Thanks to Sirena Peverell we now have a ritual to restore our souls; Mathias has volunteered to try it first, however I insisted that we both try it together; if something goes wrong, I don't want to be separated from my love…"

"It's in parseltongue!" Severus exclaimed, "No wonder I couldn't recognize the language!"

"Wait, parseltongue?" Hadrian looked shocked, "No; I was reading in English!"

"Oh no you weren't," Draco said breathlessly, "You were speaking in parseltongue, and it was very…I think I need to sit down before I do something to embarrass you again." Hadrian glanced at Draco as the blonde sat down and noticed the faint flush on his cheeks; without meaning to he glanced down and then quickly away, his own cheeks becoming red as he noticed the bulge in Draco's pants.

"Hadrian, would you be willing to help me by translating this book?" Severus inquired, "I just need information on the ritual, and then the horcrux potion translated into English so that we can restore your father's sanity; afterwards I am sure he will be willing to help translate if you don't want to."

"Yeah," Hadrian agreed, "Of course I'll help. When do you want to start?"

"Why don't we start tomorrow afternoon?" Severus suggested, "We can work on it for an hour or two a day until we have the necessary information."

"Sounds good to me," Hadrian smiled.

"Master Lucius!" they all looked up at the squeaky voice to see Wispy bowing before them, "There is being a goblin here to be speaking to Mr. Harry Potter, sir. I is telling him there is no Harry Potter, but he is not being listening; he is saying Masters must meet him inside as he is not comfortable outside."

"Very well," Lucius agreed, "See him to the downstairs parlor and serve him refreshments if he so desires." Wispy agreed and popped out. "Hadrian, as your father is not here, would you like some-or all-of us to accompany you?"

"I think I'd feel more comfortable to have someone with me," Hadrian agreed, "If everyone wants to come I don't mind, but I would like at least two people with me."

"Of course we will all go," Narcissa assured him, "There is much to straighten out, and it would benefit you to have more witnesses. Come along Hadrian dear; I'll show you to the parlor." She liked arms with Hadrian and led him back into the house, ignoring the glare from her son.

*******Author's Note*****Here's another chapter for everyone; we'll be getting Harry/Hadrian's finances and such straightened out soon. I have had a few people ask me if I will continue to update here, and the answer is yes; unless my stories are pulled, I will continue to update on this site. 'Til next time!**


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. 'Nuff Said.

Warnings: Abuse, Slash (MxM), Evil Dumbledore…possibly later.

Note: In my story Voldemort is going to be close in age to Lucius, Severus, the Marauder's, etc.

"Is everyone here going to be staying for this meeting?" Griphook, the representative sent by Gringotts eyed the people in the room with barely-disguised contempt; the wizards took their time becoming comfortable, Lucius and Narcissa sitting on a couch, Severus in a winged chair, and Hadrian and Draco sitting on the love seat at Draco's insistence.

"Yes," Severus replied, "We just found out that you have been allowing Albus Dumbledore to take money from the Potter's accounts and wanted to lodge a complaint because many of the withdrawals have been unauthorized."

"We keep careful records of all of our accounts, and the Potter's will names Albus Dumbledore as the main beneficiary," Griphook narrowed his eyes at Severus, "The funds are to be held in trust until Harry Potter comes of age, and until that time Mr. Dumbledore may use the funds as he sees fit."

"That will is false," Lucius stated calmly, "We ourselves have only just discovered that many of our memories over the past sixteen years have been fabricated; Harry Potter does not truly exist-he was a…"

"A lie," Draco spoke up, reaching out to squeeze Hadrian's hand reassuringly, "Albus Dumbledore needed a pawn, a figurehead that he could manipulate, but who would also draw the loyalty of the wizarding world, so he altered people's memories and kidnapped children, changing their identities to suit his purposes; this is Harry Potter, returned to his true self and finally using his true name-Hadrian Riddle."

"Good," Griphook nodded, "We had begun to think that no one would ever discover the truth; Albus Dumbledore was unable to change our memories, as we are not usually susceptible to most potions, however we had to pretend to go along with things until the truth was revealed." He turned to face Hadrian, "Do you formally accept the name Hadrian Riddle and reject the name and identity of Harry Potter?"

"I do," Hadrian replied, "I acknowledge that my true name and identity is that of Hadrian Riddle, son of Elena Pruitt and Tom Riddle, twin brother of Arianna Riddle. I reject the name and identity of Harry Potter as a figment created by Albus Dumbledore."

"Very good," Griphook said approvingly, "Now, as you have acknowledged the fact that you are not a Potter you will not have access to the Potter vaults; you will be forgiven the money you have previously used as you were unaware of the fact that it was not yours. You will not have to worry about funds however, as you have been named Sirius Black's heir-you will have access to any funds you need. In addition, you parents set up a vault for your use while you are in school, so you will still have access to that as well. Since your parents are alive, we will need Mr. Riddle to contact us regarding his accounts-Albus Dumbledore has been using his funds as well."

"What about the Potter vaults?" Narcissa asked, "Are you still going to allow Dumbledore to have access to the funds? Even though Harry Potter does not exist, the Potter's did have a daughter, and we have plans to inform Lillian Potter-currently Ginerva Weasley-of her true lineage."

"I will take steps to begin limiting his access," Griphook assured her, "As I stated before Gringotts keeps very detailed records so once everything has been resolved we will be able to take action and make Albus Dumbledore return the funds that he used. As for Lillian, Remus Lupin was listed as her godfather and guardian, however since it has been revealed that he is a werewolf he does not qualify for guardianship; Alice Longbottom was listed as the godmother, however she is also not capable of taking care of a child, so the ministry would most likely have to assign her a guardian once you unlock her memories."

"If Mrs. Longbottom was listed as her guardian, why can't Neville's Gran take over? You know, Augusta Longbottom." Hadrian questioned, and Griphook frowned thoughtfully.

"That just may work," he said, "I would have to look into the laws concerning child custody; however it sounds like a viable plan. Will you be working to restore the memories of everyone who was affected?"

"Yes," Severus nodded, "We will be working slowly and carefully choosing whose memories to restore first so that Dumbledore does not find out in time to stop us. We also plan to try and heal those that were damaged by him; are you aware of any of the details about what happened?"

"We just have the basic information," Griphook replied, "We know that Albus Dumbledore kidnapped children and performed illegal blood adoptions and that he changed the memories of everyone in wizarding Britain, but that is all we know." Severus nodded and pulled a vial of memories out of his robes.

"I copied some of the memories so that you and the others at Gringotts will know the entire truth," Severus informed him, "I would simply ask that you are careful in choosing any non-goblins to show the memories to."

"Of course," Griphook agreed, taking the memories and tucking them carefully away, "In return, I have some items and information that may help you; as young Mr. Riddle's guardian is not here, I do require him to leave the room since some of this information is extremely sensitive."

"What?" Hadrian cried, "That's not fair! I've already had enough of keeping secrets from Dumbledore; I thought you would be different!"

"Hadrian dear, there are certain rules that Griphook must obey," Narcissa said gently, "We will share what information we can later, but in the meantime you and Draco should go back upstairs; you can ask Tillie to prepare a room for you to stay in if you like."

"Fine," Hadrian pouted, "But it's still not fair; I should have gone to Neville."

"Stop being dramatic," Draco chided, "Come along Hadrian; we can go through my wardrobe and see if I have any clothing that will fit you without alterations. We will see you for dinner; thank you for your time Griphook." He pulled Hadrian out of the room and up the stairs without giving him a chance to protest.

"But your Mum said I could have my own room!" Hadrian protested, pulling Draco's hand down from where it had been covering his mouth, "And I think if your Mum gave me permission to call Ti-mmph!" He glared as Draco slapped his other hand down to cover Hadrian's mouth.

"I don't care," Draco pouted, "I told you you're staying in here; I want you where I can keep an eye on you. Is it really _that_ important for you to have your own room?" He took his hand away to allow Hadrian to speak.

"Look, I really would feel more comfortable in my own bed," Hadrian explained, "Also, I have never really had my own room before-I mean , I slept in Dudley's broken toy room, but it was never mine; I want my own room!"

"Okay," Draco said, "Why don't we sit down and talk about it?" He sat down on the edge of the bed, followed by a reluctant Hadrian, "Okay, so I understand why you want your own space, and I am willing to compromise; the bedroom will be set up next to mine, with a door going between the two rooms, that way you will have a place to be alone if you need it. Also, I get to help you decorate."

"Okay," Hadrian agreed, "I guess I can live with that; so, now can I call-oh, it's Hedwig!" Tapping at the window distracted the brunet and he hurried over to let the snowy owl in, "Hey girl; did Neville give you a letter for me?" He took the letter from her and turned to Draco, "Do you have any owl treats?"

"In the desk," Draco replied, looking at the envelope with narrowed eyes, "Why would Longbottom be writing to you?"

"Hmm?" Hadrian looked up from where he had been feeding Hedwig and smiled, "Oh, he was pretty much the only friend I trust, so I sent Hedwig to stay with him; I didn't tell him anything though because I was afraid to put in in writing. Why don't you wait here in case I need to write back girl?" Hedwig hooted her agreement and settled down on the back of the desk chair while Hadrian made his way back over to the bed and opened the envelope, "Huh, it's two letters-one is from Luna." He unfolded Neville's letter first.

"Harry,

Hey, I know you wanted me to keep Hedwig here, but you sounded weird in your letter and I just wanted to make sure you're okay. If you need anything don't hesitate to ask; Gran has been more lenient with me ever since the Ministry, so I can meet up with you anytime you are ready to talk. Also, be careful of Ron and Hermione-I ran into them at Triple W a couple days ago and they were acting really strange-especially Ron. Anyway, write back when you're able to.

~Neville

Ps-Luna added her letter with mine, but she wouldn't let me read it so it's not my fault if it's weird."

Hadrian passed the letter to Draco and opened the one from Luna.

"Hello Hadrian!

How are you? I just wanted to let you know that everything will work out just fine; Lillian will come back to the right side, and so will Helena, although she may not be comfortable using that name. I can't wait to meet your sister! I have told Neville to be ready to go, so we shall meet you at the Manor this evening once we receive your reply. Also, the Headmaster knows where you are and he was told that you claimed Sanctuary-it is a very good idea and may help you in the future. I can't wait to meet everyone!

See you soon!

~Luna"

"How does she know?" Draco demanded after he read the letter, "Did you find a way to contact her while I was sleeping?"

"Yes," Hadrian rolled his eyes, "I sent her a telepathic message while we were taking a nap. Luna…she just knows things sometimes-I can't explain it, but she has never been wrong that I know of, and I trust her. So, about them coming over…?" Draco gave him a hard look before responding.

"You really trust them?" Hadrian nodded and the blond sighed, "Very well; send them a letter back and invite them to come through the floo-I'll reset the one in the study down the hall to allow them through. They just call out Malfoy Manor-Blue Study."

"Thank you!" Hadrian threw his arms around Draco in a quick hug before rushing over to write the letter; "Here girl; take this to Neville for me and be safe." Hedwig gave him an affectionate nip before wheeling out the window.

"Well, let's get your room fixed up," Draco said, "Tillie!"

The boys spent the next hour arguing over Hadrian's room; Draco wanted the bedroom to be as big as his own (which was the size of the whole upper story of the Dursley's house) and Hadrian insisted that he didn't that much space-Hadrian finally won and his bedroom was about half the size of Draco's, with a full size bed, a desk, a few bookshelves, and a couple of chairs. There was also a window seat over-looking the garden and lined with a comfy cushion and a handful of decorative pillows. There was a small ensuite bathroom with a shower stall, but Draco had succeeded in convincing Hadrian that he could use the tub in Draco's bathroom if he ever wanted to just take a bath; at Draco's insistence Hadrian also had a walk-in closet which he promised (threatened) would be stuffed full soon enough. The biggest argument came when they were discussing color themes-Draco wanted it to echo his own room which was decorated in jewel tones of blue and green with a little silver thrown in, but Hadrian wanted his room to be decorated with cool greys and deep, rich shades of blue and purple. Finally it was done though, and Hadrian flopped down on his bed, head in the middle and his legs hanging over the edge; Draco walked around and flopped down on the opposite side so that their heads were next to one another, and they shared a small smile.

"Master Draco!" Draco sat up with a groan as Tillie popped in, "You is having guests in the sitting room; should Tillie be bringing them here?"

"No; we shall meet them in the study," Draco replied, "Bring some tea and light snacks, and then tell Mother that I have guests."

"Right away Master Draco!" Tillie bowed and then popped out again.

"Come on lazy," Draco walked around the bed and held out a hand to help Hadrian up, "You invited them, so now you have to get up and meet them."

"Fine," Hadrian sighed, letting Draco pull him to his feet, "This feels like the longest day ever! I'm so tired, and I don't know why…"

"You'll get used to it," Draco said, "I suppose someone should have told you that the manor has ancient spells weaved into the walls that can slow the passage of time within the manor; this allows us to get more done in a single day than most people would ever be able to accomplish. Unfortunately, it can lead to feelings of exhaustion until you get used to it."

"You could have told me this earlier," Hadrian said drily as they walked down the hallway towards the study, "By the way, what's that Sanctuary thing Luna mentioned in her letter?"

"Oh, if a wizard is ever in trouble and wanders onto another wizards property he can request Sanctuary," Draco explained, "The other wizard is bound by magic to grant the request for Sanctuary, which means that he will offer a safe place for the wizard who is in trouble. Even if the two wizards were previously enemies all previous differences will be set aside."

"Oh, since Dumbles thinks I requested Sanctuary, should I actually do it?"

"It couldn't hurt," Draco shrugged, "All you have to do is formally request Sanctuary; the exact wording doesn't matter."

"Okay," Hadrian agreed, "Draco Malfoy; I apologize for trespassing on your land however I feel that my life is in danger, and I beg you for Sanctuary."

"I hereby grant you, Hadrian Riddle, Sanctuary," Draco replied formally, "You shall be safe here and at any other Malfoy property as long as you do not cause trouble. And now we seal it with a kiss." He leaned forward to kiss Hadrian but the brunet pulled away glaring.

"Nice try Malfoy," He said, "When will you give up on hitting on me?"

"Oh, never," Draco said nonchalantly as they stood outside the study, "You'll come to love me eventually. Now, did you want to speak to your friends in private?"

"Why?" Hadrian looked confused, "We're friends now; I trust you. Come on Dray." He linked arms with the blond and they entered the room together to see Neville standing nervously by the fireplace while Luna and a dark haired girl stood examining the bookcase.

"Hi Harry, umm…Malfoy; thank you for inviting us," Neville greeted Hadrian cheerfully, glancing nervously at Draco.

"Of course," Draco nodded graciously, "Welcome to Malfoy Manor Longbottom, Lovegood; who is your friend?"

"This is my cousin Celeste," Luna replied as the two girls turned to greet them, "She's visiting from Japan. Hello Draco, Hadrian." Celeste looked to be about the same age as Luna, with long black hair, violet eyes and pale skin.

"Hi Luna," Hadrian replied, "Good to see you Nev; umm, Luna…I don't mean to be rude, but I wanted to tell you and Neville some important things, and I don't know your cousin…"

"Oh, of course," Luna replied, "Celeste can talk to Draco while you tell us what's going on; you don't mind, do you Celeste?"

"Not at all," Celeste replied with a grin, "As long as it's okay with Draco."

"I suppose I don't mind," Draco drawled, "Just try not to take too long, okay Hades? Give them the edited version; the meeting downstairs should be finished soon so that we can have dinner."

"Whatever you say Draco," Hadrian rolled his eyes and led Luna and Neville over to the far side of the room before setting up a silencing spell, "So, how have you guys been?" Hadrian and Neville each sat in an arm chair, while Luna settled herself on the arm of Hadrian's chair, leaning against him.

"Good," Neville replied, "Gran let me set up a greenhouse at home; it doesn't have much in it yet, but I plan to have it full by the time we graduate. She's also started to let me manage my own finances and she just seems to trust me more after what happened at the ministry."

"I am helping Daddy research the Crumple-horned Snorack," Luna said, "He said that next summer we can go an expedition to try and find one. How are you feeling? Your back is better, I hope."

"How did you-never mind," Hadrian shook his head, "Yes, I am much better now; Severus and Draco healed me right up."

"Well, what happened?" Neville asked, "What made you run away, and why did you come here?"

"It's kind of a long story," Hadrian began, "Last night I was sneaking down to the cupboard to get my school stuff out-you remember I told you my relatives lock everything up over the summer?" Neville nodded; Luna merely hummed a tune that sounded suspiciously like 'Weasley Is Our King'. "Right; well, while I was in the cupboard the doorbell rang, and I heard Dumbledore talking to my relatives. He basically told them to beat me into submission and gave them potions to prevent me from being able to fight back. My uncle managed to force the magic-stripping potions down my throat and then he beat me with his belt; he left at one point and I was able to get to the healing potion. When my Uncle came back I knocked him out and tied him up, then I tied my aunt up and called Dobby and he helped me escape. He brought me to the woods just outside the Malfoy's land and Draco caught me; I passed out because my wounds had re-opened, Draco and Severus saved me, and then I met my father."

"But…James is dead," Neville pointed out uncertainly, "How could you meet him?"

"That's where it gets interesting," Hadrian grinned, "It seems James was not my father, but actually my uncle; my mom was Elena Pruitt, Lily's American cousin, and my father was Tom Riddle."

"T-Tom Riddle?" Neville stuttered, "Isn't that-?"

"Yes; it's Lord Voldemort," Hadrian said, "But he wasn't anything like what we were told. Earlier today Draco and I viewed some memories of Tom's school years, and you won't believe what we found out…" Hadrian told them about the memories and how Dumbledore had manipulated everyone and changed their memories; "…and then he made my Mum leave the country and changed my identity to that of Harry Potter."

"Wow," Neville said, "That's just…"

"I'm so sorry for what happened to you," Luna slid off the arm of the chair to sit on Hadrian's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Dumbledore took your family away…and yours as well Neville; what can we do to help Hadrian?"

"Well, for now we just need to keep this quiet," Hadrian replied, "We can't let Dumbledore find out that we know the truth until…well, I'm not sure exactly, but I would guess that we need to keep it a secret until Tom gets his soul back. Nev-we're looking into ways to restore Bellatrix to sanity, and I promise we will also do what we can to help your parents. Severus has a set of books written by some descendants of Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw which have information on horcruxes, and there may be other useful information in them, but a lot of it is in parseltongue so only Tom and I can read it."

"So Vold-er, Tom, isn't insane anymore?" Neville asked.

"Well, he is a little," Hadrian admitted, "But now that he's aware of what happened he is trying to fight it. One thing you should know however-if I have my way, Dumbledore will suffer for what he has done, and then he will die."

"Weeds must be exterminated so that the flowers can grow," Luna nodded solemnly, "So you will have to go by Harry until you are ready to reveal yourself. Will you remain in Gryffindor?"

"I hadn't thought about that," Hadrian frowned, "I guess you're right though; I'll probably have to pretend to still be Harry when we go back to school. I plan to ask for a re-sort when we go back; I don't want to share a room with Ron anymore."

"That's understandable," Neville nodded, "I'll miss you being there though. Umm, Luna? Why are you clinging to Har-er-Hadrian?"

"Hmm? Oh, it must be the snargles," Luna replied dreamily, "It looks like they got to Draco and Celeste too."

"What?" Hadrian frowned and looked over at the fireplace, where Draco and Celeste were sitting together; it was almost a mirror image of Hadrian and Luna-Celeste had her arms around Draco's neck, and she was giggling at something Draco said; "Why are they sitting like that? He doesn't know her."

"I told you; it's the snargles," Luna explained, "Celeste is having a lot of fun, don't you think? I've heard other girls talk, and they say that Draco can be quite charming when he wishes."

"Well, he shouldn't be trying to charm your cousin," Hadrian grumbled irritably, "He doesn't even know her, and he was flirting with-" Hadrian blushed and snapped his mouth shut; he sounded like he was jealous of Draco paying attention to that girl! And he wasn't, because Hadrian was not gay, and he definitely was not attracted to Draco.

"A lot of guys flirt with girls they don't know," Neville looked at him strangely, "Not me of course; I tend to make a fool of myself around girls. Haven't you ever flirted with a girl, just because you wanted to?"

"Never," Hadrian replied, "I don't think I've ever even tried to flirt with a girl; I just feel awkward around them."

"Don't worry," Luna ran her fingers through his hair soothingly, "Celeste is just having fun; they do look very nice together though, don't they? Like light and shadows."

"The same could be said about you and Hadrian," Neville laughed, "It's funny how you and Celeste are total opposites in your appearance-well, aside from the fact that you're both really pretty." Neville blushed and looked down as he mumbled the compliment.

"Thank you Neville," Luna smiled softly.

"And you know there's nothing between Luna and me," Hadrian added, "We're just friends; she's one of the only girls I feel comfortable just hanging out with. Do you think Draco really likes her?" Hadrian felt stupid for asking the question, but he couldn't help himself; for some reason the thought of Draco liking Celeste made Hadrian feel…well, he didn't like it, that's for sure.

"Celeste is very likable," Luna responded, "But I don't think he likes her as much as he likes you. I think you would be very good together."

"What?" Hadrian cried, "Me and Draco? No; you're wrong Luna-I'm not gay. I like girls-remember Cho?"

"Actually, Cho is the only girl I've ever heard you mention," Neville mused, "And all it took was one kiss for you to stop liking her…are there any other girls you like?"

"I haven't exactly been looking," Hadrian scowled, "I have been busy you know; I haven't had time to notice girls."

"Okay, let's do a test," Neville suggested, "Close your eyes. Just-humor me, okay Hadrian?"

"Fine," Hadrian grumbled as he closed his eyes, "Okay, now what?"

"I'm going to name a few people," Neville told him, "Guys and girls, and I want you to describe their appearance. Hermione."

"Curly brown hair, about my height, brown eyes and really straight teeth," Hadrian replied, "Next?"

"Ron."

"Red hair, blue eyes, freckled skin, taller than me-probably about 6'2"; he's got wide shoulders too," Hadrian sighed, "Is there a point to all this?"

"Yes," Neville said, "Blaise Zabini."

"He's the Italian guy in Slytherin, right?" Hadrian frowned, "He's about an inch taller than me, with dark skin, short black hair-it has blue highlights when the sun hits it just right-and dark brown, almond-shaped eyes."

"Astoria Greengrass."

"Who?"

"She's in Slytherin," Luna offered helpfully, "She's a year younger than me, but I've heard many boys say she is the prettiest girl in school."

"Umm…no idea," Hadrian shrugged, "Can I open my eyes now?"

"Not yet," Neville said, "How about Hannah Abbott?"

"Hufflepuff, right?" Hadrian asked, "Yeah, I remember her; blonde hair and…um, blue eyes? She's kinda tall and has a tan?"

"Seamus."

"He's just a bit taller than me; has sandy brown hair, slightly wavy and his eyes are blue; he has that Irish accent too, which is really nice. He has defined muscles, I think from playing Muggle soccer. "

"Susan Bones?"

"Short-ish blonde hair and blue eyes."

"Try waist-length red hair and blue eyes," Neville corrected, "She has a peaches-and-cream complexion. Zacharias Smith."

"He has wavy golden blond hair and light brown eyes," Hadrian replied, "Taller than me and really skinny, pale skin; he's a bit of a prat really."

"Cho."

"Long black hair, brown eyes and a pale complexion. She's kinda tall, which is weird because I thought Asians were usually short."

"Draco."

"Pale blonde hair, almost silver-it looks a lot better now that he doesn't slick it back all the time," Hadrian said, "His eyes are pale, sometimes they are grey, other times an icy blue, and he has pale skin like…porcelain? No, alabaster. Lightly muscled from quidditch."

"You can open your eyes now," Neville said-when he did Hadrian saw that Neville was smirking triumphantly, "I think I've made my point; I mentioned five guys and five girls-you didn't even know who Astoria Greengrass was and gave pretty generic descriptions of the other girls, while you were able to describe all of the boys clearly. I hate to say it Hadrian, but I think you're gay."

"But…I can't be," Hadrian protested, "I-how could I be gay and not realize it?"

"It's generally expected for boys to like girls, so it's understandable that you would need help to realize your sexuality," Luna said consolingly, "You don't have to worry though-same sex relationships are accepted in our world, and there are ways that you can still have a family. The snargles have left now; we should go join Draco and Celeste."

"Umm, sure," Hadrian said, feeling dazed, "But, um…can we not mention what we just discussed? I-I don't think I'm ready for anyone else to know yet; I need time to think about it."

"Of course," Neville nodded, "We'll keep quiet until you're ready to talk about it. Want to take the privacy barrier down?" Hadrian nodded and cancelled the privacy spells; Luna slid off his lap and they walked over to join Draco and Celeste, who were talking quietly together.

***What Draco and Celeste were doing while Hadrian talked to his friends***

"You like him," Celeste said, following Draco over to an armchair by the fire and sitting on his lap, "Does he know?"

"I've tried to make it evident," Draco replied, "However, he insists he is not gay; I believe it is denial. Is there a reason you are sitting on my lap?"

"Luna and I have fae in our blood," Celeste smiled, "We need contact a bit more than some others; it might also help you with…was it Harry, or Hadrian?"

"Harry," Draco replied promptly, "Hadrian is just a code name we use sometimes. So, you're fae? You must be a moon sprite; I can see you in the night sky, dancing around the stars."

"Luna was right; you _are_ silly," Celeste giggled, "Have you tried your flattery on Harry yet?"

"Hmm, not really," Draco mused, "I should try it though; at the very least I can make him blush, and he looks so…what is your cousin doing?" Draco narrowed his eyes as he glanced at Hadrian and saw Luna sitting on his lap, her arms wrapped around Harry's neck, "Why is she sitting on Ha-Harry?"

"Fae, remember?" Celeste teased, "Now, just imagine how he's going to feel when he notices us sitting all cozy like this; at least he and Luna are friends-you and I have never met before, and it's sure to bother him."

"You would have made a good Slytherin," Draco said admiringly, "So you think that he might realize his…preferences before the day is over?"

"He'll probably be in denial for a bit longer," Celeste replied, "It all depends on what Luna and Neville do to help him realize his feelings. Oh look; he's noticed us." Draco glanced at Hadrian out of the corner of his eye and saw that the brunet was glaring in their direction.

"I wish I had some of those extendable ears the Weasley twins created," Draco murmured, "I would love to hear what they are saying."

"Maybe you can ask him later," Celeste suggested, "You just have to find the right way to word it so that he can't refuse to answer. Looks like they're making him think." The two watched the other group in silence until they saw Luna slip off Hadrian's lap and the brunet stood up to cancel his privacy spells.

"Will you three be staying for dinner?" Draco asked, "It's already almost that time."

"I don't think so," Celeste replied, "Luna; are we eating here?"

"We can't," Luna replied, "Daddy picked some dirigible plums earlier, remember? We have to be home for dinner."

"And Gran invited some family over for dinner, so I need to go home as well," Neville added, "In fact, we should probably leave now. Thank you for letting us come talk to Harry, Draco; maybe we can all get together and talk again sometime."

"That would be acceptable," Draco replied, ignoring Harry's eye roll, "One of us will owl you to set things up. It was a pleasure to meet you Celeste."

"The pleasure was mine," Celeste replied, leaning up to kiss Draco on the cheek, "I'm only sad that I won't get to know you better, as I have to go home in a couple of days. It was nice to meet you Harry."

"Nice to meet you," Hadrian replied, "Er…have a good trip home. It was good to see you again Nev; I'll keep Hedwig here for now. Luna-thank you; I'll see you again soon."

"Of course," Luna replied smiling, "and remember what we talked about. Have fun tomorrow!" She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and waved to Draco, and then the three visitors were grabbing handfuls of floo powder and returning to the Longbottom Estate.

"I have to be Harry when we go back to school," Hadrian announced once Neville and the two girls were gone, "If I go back to school as Hadrian Dumbles will know that Sev, Tom and your father have their memories back."

"You're right," Draco nodded, "As much as I hate to admit it, Harry Potter can't disappear quite yet; it's bound to get confusing for your friends. You will, however, still be asking for a re-sorting, won't you?"

"Yeah," Hadrian nodded, "I still don't want to stay in Gryffindor. I was wondering though, what will you tell your friends when they ask why you're being nice to me?"

"I'll tell them the truth," Draco shrugged, "Or, at least the truth that Dumbles knows; you ran away because the Muggles went too far and wound up at Malfoy Manor where you asked me for sanctuary-I granted it and we became friends. I won't tell anyone the full truth without your permission Hades; there are a few people I trust explicitly, but I can't expect you to trust them right away. You'll get to meet some of my friends at my birthday party in a couple of days."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Hadrian frowned, "Some of them might decide to try and attack me, and then I'll have to fight back-and you know I'm fairly good at dueling-and even if they do win, I can't imagine Tom being pleased."

"No, he would be disappointed in you for losing," the sardonic comment had Draco and Hadrian looking up to see Lucius standing in the doorway, "There is no need to worry however, as I will make an announcement to everyone that you are not to be attacked in my home. Bellatrix may be a problem however, so I would recommend avoiding her, and make certain that you are never alone with her."

"Of course, Mr. Malfoy," Hadrian agreed, "Or, we could just tell her that I'm the Dark Lord's son and she has to obey me or…I'll let Severus use her for potions ingredients. That's believable, right?"

"Ummm…that's the best way to get hexed," Draco informed him, "In case you haven't noticed, Aunt Bella is slightly insane. In fact, perhaps Tom should have a word with her before my birthday?"

"I shall mention it to him," Lucius agreed, "Now, if you boys aren't busy it's time for supper;" he led the way downstairs, telling the boys, "Severus has left for the evening to speak with Tom, and they will both return sometime tomorrow. Have you decided on your sleeping arrangements?"

"Yes," Draco nodded, linking arms with Hadrian, who rolled his eye, "Hadrian has his own room set up, but we hid it so that it can't be easily accessed; you can only get to it through my room."

"I do have a hidden door that opens out into the hallway though," Hadrian added, "That way if someone gets into Draco's room we can still get out."

"I doubt anyone will be able to sneak into the mansion and all the way up to Draco's room," Lucius said, amusement evident in his voice, "however, it is always a good idea to have an escape plan. Narcissa and I have both told the house elves to obey you unless you request something that contradicts our orders, so if you do run into any trouble they will be able to help. Now, let's keep the discussion light until after dinner, okay?"

"Yes Father," Draco agreed.

"Yes Mr. Malfoy," Hadrian nodded.

"Call me Lucius, Hadrian," Lucius said, "We're practically family, after all; Tom was like a brother to me when we were in school."

"Does that mean you remember everything from your school years?" Draco asked interestedly as they stopped outside the dining room, "You never really shared any of your school memories with me before."

"Oh yes," Lucius smiled, "I definitely remember my years at Hogwarts; I'll tell you what the Marauder's did to Severus in fifth year-his fourth year-if you promise not to tell him where you heard it from."

"Promise!" Draco and Hadrian said in unison.

"Very well," Lucius led them into the dining room, pausing to pull Narcissa's seat out for her, "It was the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, and…"

The small group spent dinner discussing Lucius and Narcissa's school days; once they viewed the memories Dumbledore had stolen, it unlocked further memories that they had preciously forgotten. It seemed there were many prank wars between the Gryffindor Marauder's-Sirius, James and Remus (they chose not to mention Peter Pettigrew)-and the Slytherin Demagogue's-Lucius, Severus and Tom (Sirius named them; he said that the Slytherin's were all power-hungry tyrants); they drove most of the teachers crazy while they were in school, and once McGonagall wound up with pink hair for a week. Dinner was very light-hearted and filled with laughter, which continued as they retired to the family sitting room.

"So…can you tell us what happened with Griphook?" Hadrian asked once they had all settled into comfortable seats-he was once again sitting by Draco, while the elder Malfoy's were sharing a small divan.

"We are not able to tell you everything," Narcissa began, "It is for you safety as well as the safety of the goblins. I can, however tell you that the goblins were keeping some one-of-a-kind volumes hidden safely away in secret vaults that may help us with Bella and the Longbottoms; the books were being held in trust until the authors descendant could take possession of them, and with and luck we will be able to get them within the next day or so."

"Oh? And who are the books written by?" Draco asked as he stretched his arms above his head, letting one fall across Hadrian's shoulders; the brunet blushed and glared at Draco, shrugging his arm off.

"Salazar Slytherin himself," Lucius replied, "It seems that Tom is his descendant, as is Hadrian, of course; that is one of the subjects Severus is discussing with our lord. Griphook indicated that the books may have counter spells to reverse the effects of long-term suffering under the cruciatus curse."

"I can't wait to tell Neville!" Hadrian enthused, "He'll be so excited to know that his parents can be healed; I saw them last Christmas you know-they didn't even know who he was. It was really sad." Hadrian turned his head to look at Draco; "You know, I forgot to tell him about the Order of the Black Rose; I bet he'd like to join-you are starting it up again, right?" He directed the question to Lucius, who nodded solemnly, replying;

"Yes, we are re-activating the order-however, we will not be accepting any members under the age of seventeen," he held up a hand to forestall Hadrian and Draco's protests, "You will have enough to worry about just getting through school with Dumbledore keeping his eye on you; there is no reason for you to fight this war just yet."

"Except for the fact that Dumbledore messed with our lives," Draco scowled, "Not to mention there's that prophecy you were after a few months ago-if Tom isn't the Dark Lord then Dumbles is, and that means Hadrian will have to go up against him eventually anyway. Wouldn't it be better to train us further so that we are prepared when the time comes?"

"First of all Severus believes the prophecy was a fake, created by Dumbledore like so many of our memories over the years," Lucius began, "and Second, you need to focus on school; if you get involved it will just make you a bigger target to Dumbledore."

"Just-let it go Dray," Hadrian placed his hand on Draco's arm, "It won't do any good-they're adults and they obviously know what's best for us; we won't get them to change their minds, so you had better save your breath."

"We do have your best interests at heart," Narcissa said, "If this situation is still going on once you turn seventeen then we will gladly allow you to join the Order, but you should enjoy being young while you can. Now, how do you feel about going shopping tomorrow? I'm sure you would like to get some new clothing."

"That sounds fine," Hadrian agreed, "What time should we be up?"

"Oh, I shall send a house elf up to Draco's room around six so we can have breakfast before we go," Narcissa said, "Draco can wake you after he gets ready to go; you boys should head upstairs since we have an early morning."

"Of course," Draco said stiffly, still upset about being excluded from the Order, "Goodnight Mother, Father. Come along Hadrian." He grabbed Hadrian by the hand and started pulling him out of the room.

"Stop pulling Draco!" Hadrian protested, "Night Narcissa, Lucius! Draco!" He dug his heels in and pulled back hard, but Draco barely even faltered, just tightened his grip and continued to pull Hadrian up to his room. "Draco; can we stop now?" Hadrian yanked his arm away once they were in Draco's room and glared at the blond, "What was that all about?"

"I just wanted to get somewhere private so we can talk," Draco replied, "We have to do something; we can't just let our parents keep us in the dark about this. Why did you just give up in there?"

"I didn't," Hadrian rolled his eyes," I just had to let them think that I was giving up; I know better than to argue with adults-if they won't let us help them, we'll just have to help ourselves. Remember the defense club last year? That taught me that sometimes we just have to take matters into our own hands."

"So you're saying we should start our own group," Draco smirked, "Of course! Who should we include?" He walked over to his bed and flopped down gracefully, beckoning Hadrian to join him.

"Luna and Neville for sure," Hadrian replied, sitting down next to Draco on the bed, "Also the twins; they can be our intelligence team. Perhaps later we can make Ginny and Hermione part of the team as well; we'll have to sound out our other classmates. Do you have any ideas about who we should invite?"

"I would suggest Blaise, Theo and Pansy," Draco said, "I'm not too sure about Vince and Greg-Crabbe and Goyle-but you can meet them all at my party and we can discuss everything afterwards. I'm going to change into my pajamas; if you look in the top drawer of my dresser you can find a pair to borrow."

"Thanks, but I actually have my own," Hadrian replied, "Sirius gave them to me last Christmas; I'll just head to my room then so we can go to sleep."

"No, I'm not kicking you out," Draco protested, "I just want to get comfortable in case we fall asleep while we're talking. You can change in here; I'll be back in a moment."

A few minutes later the boys were both back in Draco's room, lounging on the bed.

"We can talk to the twins tomorrow," Hadrian said, "They opened their new shop in Diagon Alley and I'm sure they will be there; we just need to avoid the rest of the Weasley's."

"Why don't you use the invisibility cloak I found in your trunk?" Draco suggested, "I'm guessing that is how you managed to roam the school without being caught?"

"I can't believe you went through my things!" Hadrian glared at him, "Slytherin Prat! But yes, I did use my cloak a lot in school; I can fold it to fit in my back pocket, and then once we separate from your parents I can use it to cover both of us. By the way, when are you going to remove this stupid collar?"

"Eventually," Draco replied nonchalantly, "As I explained earlier the collar helps to keep you safe; when we find something else that works similarly then I will consider removing the collar. You know, maybe we should see if we can track down your mother's family; Dumbledore changed people's memories, but there should be a record of her family in the wizarding library of Diagon Alley."

"That sounds good," Hadrian yawned, closing his eyes, "I never knew there was a wizarding library, but I guess it makes sense…I need to talk to someone about changing houses; do I have to go through Dumbles?"

"I believe you can go through the board of governors," Draco replied, "Just tell them that you don't feel comfortable in Gryffindor any longer; there is a book somewhere that tells the requirements which need to be met in order for you to be granted a re-sorting; I'm sure our parents will take care of it though." Draco maneuvered himself so that he was lying closer to Hadrian, their arms just a hairsbreadth away from touching.

"That's right," Hadrian smiled sleepily, "Now when people talk about their parents I can be part of the conversation; I've never been able to do that before."

"Don't worry," Draco said, "Soon you'll be complaining about your parents with the rest of us. Hmmm, I'll have to teach you to use your Father's status to your advantage, but I suppose it will have to wait."

"Yeah, I can barely keep my eyes open," Hadrian yawned again, "I should go lay down in my room." He didn't make any move to get up, merely snuggled into the blanket.

"Oh, just stay here for tonight," Draco said, "You're already half-asleep anyway."

"'Kay," Hadrian mumbled, "but no…no funny stuff or I'll tell Tom."

"But you're so adorable it's hard to resist messing with you," Draco teased, and was rewarded by Hadrian's blush.

"Prat," Hadrian opened one eye to glare at him, "Go to sleep." Draco chuckled softly and pulled the blanket up, covering both him and Hadrian. Within a few moments both boys were fast asleep.

*******Author's Note*****Okay, another chapter done, and the longest day ever finally ends, lol! I just realized that I spent like four chapters describing the events of one day-the story should start to move a bit faster, especially after Draco's birthday. Hope you guys liked it, and thanks to everyone who reviewed; I'll try to update again soon. Also, I believe Celeste will be the last OC I introduce (other than those already mentioned), and she probably won't be back in the story; I just needed her to help Hadrian start to realize things.**


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. 'Nuff Said.

Warnings: Abuse, Slash (MxM), Evil Dumbledore…possibly more later.

Note: In my story Voldemort is going to be close in age to Lucius, Severus, the Marauder's, etc.

Hadrian woke early the next morning feeling safe and warm, the strong arms wrapped around him making him reluctant to get out of bed. He snuggled in closer to the other body, giving a contented sigh; he couldn't remember the last time he felt so comfortable. The arms around him tightened slightly, and Hadrian came to full wakefulness as he realized that he was wrapped in a tight embrace;

"Damn Draco," he muttered, trying to disentangle himself without waking the blond boy; he had no desire to get caught in that embarrassing position again-and how did he wind up snuggling with Draco anyway? He'd fallen asleep on Neville's bed in the Gryffindor common room a few times and never awoke snuggled up to the other boy, so why Draco? _Because you like him_, his inner voice whispered, and Hadrian scowled; if only Luna and Neville hadn't pressured him yesterday…

"Mmm, morning Hades," Draco murmured, carding his fingers through Hadrian's hair, "Has the house elf come yet?" Hadrian briefly closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation, before responding.

"No," Hadrian replied, "Um, Draco, can you-"

"Then go back to sleep," Draco commanded, "I need my beauty rest, and so do you."

"Poncey git," Hadrian muttered, "Let me go Draco; I can't sleep like this."

"I disagree," Draco replied, and Hadrian could hear the smirk in his voice, "It seemed you were sleeping like this just fine all night, not to mention you had no problem snuggling with me during your nap yesterday. Now, stop being difficult."

"You stop being difficult," Hadrian retorted as he squirmed to get away, "I want to get up and take a shower; your Mum told you to stop teasing me."

"Ah, but that was yesterday," Draco pointed out, "and today is a whole new day. Well, since you refuse to let me sleep I suppose we may as well get up." Hadrian was relieved when Draco let him go and practically leapt from the bed, "I will let you borrow some of my clothes until we can get you your own."

"I have clothes!" Hadrian protested, then remembered that all of his clothes were Dudley's ill-fitting cast-offs-he would look ridiculous if he walked around in those clothes with the Malfoy's; "Okay-fine; I'll borrow something of yours. Just-put it on my bed maybe? I'm going to take a shower."

"Very well," Draco agreed, "You are welcome to wait in my room after your shower if you wish; Mother should be downstairs by the time we are ready." Hadrian nodded to show that he understood and then headed through the hidden door-it was behind a tapestry of the Malfoy Family Tree-and into his room before heading to his private bathroom.

Twenty minutes later Harry left his room and walked over to the window seat in Draco's room; he was wearing an old set of Draco's clothing-it looked brand new however-which consisted of a pair of black slacks, a light grey shirt and an emerald-green over-robe. Along with the clothing Draco had also given him a wand holster that was strapped to his forearm; having never had one before Hadrian amused himself for several minutes flicking his wrist to release the wand from the holster, before looking out onto the gardens below.

It was strange, Hadrian mused, to find himself sitting in Draco Malfoy's bedroom and feeling completely safe and content; just twenty-four hours ago the boys had been rivals, and now they were fast on the way to becoming good friends. More, if Luna was right. Hadrian blushed at that thought and frowned; shouldn't he be above such embarrassment, being the son of the Dark Lord an all? Sure, Voldemort was created by Dumbledore and Tom himself wasn't actually evil, but still. Also, was he even sure he liked Draco? That stupid game Neville had tricked him into playing didn't really prove anything, did it? He was able to describe Draco well because he had spent so much time with him in the last twenty-four hours, that's all. Of course, that didn't explain why he awoke to find himself sleeping on Draco's chest, nor why he started feeling jealous when it looked like the blond was flirting with Luna's cousin.

Hadrian sighed-it was just all so confusing! He had always assumed that he would fall in love with a girl-maybe even Ginny-and get married, but he honestly hadn't had strong feelings towards any girls except for Cho, and he had been completely turned off by that kiss last year. When Draco had kissed him yesterday however, he had felt…flustered; it was such a brief kiss, but he felt more from that than he had felt with Cho, that's for sure.

The sound of the bathroom door opening startled Hadrian from his thoughts and he looked over to see Draco emerge with a towel draped around his waist.

"Have you no decency?" Hadrian demanded, flushing as he looked back out the window; Merlin, Draco was fit!

"It's my room," Draco pointed out, before smiling slyly, "Why? Like what you see Hades?"

"You wish," Hadrian retorted, leaning his head against the window with his eyes closed, "Parading around me half-naked is not going to convince me I want you, so give it up."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Draco replied, and Hadrian could hear the rustling of clothes, "I am merely getting dressed; it's not my fault you're embarrassed by the sight of my impressive physique. Besides which, you have nothing to be embarrassed about; you're quite fit yourself, you know."

"That's not why I'm embarrassed!" Hadrian protested, "It's just that normal people do not strut around others without clothing on, prat."

"Oh, stop whining," Draco said, and Hadrian could practically hear him rolling his eyes, "We go to a boarding school for Merlin's sake-surely you've seen your dorm mates-and your teammates-without clothing on, so why does this bother you?"

"I-it-just-you-" Hadrian stuttered, "You know what? Next time you embarrass me, I'm just going to hex you! My father is the Dark Lord Voldemort, and as his heir I am owed some respect!" He glared at Draco as the blond burst into laughter.

"Oh, that was hilarious Hades," Draco gasped out, "Just…hilarious!" Hadrian pouted as he waited for his friend to calm down.

"I'm glad you find me amusing," Hadrian scowled as Draco got his breathing back under control.

"Sorry Hades, but you have to admit it was amusing," Draco grinned, "You had the right idea in using your father to gain respect, however you need a bit of practice to make it sound threatening; don't worry though-we'll work on it later. Now, are you ready to go downstairs? Mother's house elf came in just before I got in the shower, so she is probably waiting for us."

"Yeah, fine," Hadrian agreed, "Let's go downstairs-wait; should I wear my glasses? Since we're going out in public people may find it strange if I don't have them on."

"You can just say that you are wearing those Muggle things I've heard about," Draco said, "Some sort of lenses that go directly on the eye?"

"Contacts," Hadrian informed him, "That's a great idea. Okay; you'll have to lead the way again-I still don't know my way around yet."

"Of course," Draco said agreeably, linking arms with Hadrian, "I'll be glad to lead you anywhere you want to go."

"Was that supposed to be a pick-up line?" Hadrian asked, "Because if so, that was lame; really lame."

"It is considered a joke," Draco scowled, then brightened as a thought occurred to him, "Why? Did you want me to be flirting with you? Because I have better pick-up lines. For example: Baby, you've got me wrapped around your finger tighter than Devil's Snare. Or: I don't need to look into the Mirror of Erised to know that you're the only thing I desire. How about: Is that a wand in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me? And then there's the classic: Want a ride on my broomstick?"

"Oh Merlin; stop!" Hadrian begged, laughing so hard tears were leaking form his eyes, "Those are so horrible Draco; do wizards really use those?"

"Only the desperate ones," Draco conceded, "Why? What sort of pick-up lines do Muggles use?"

"I've only heard a couple in passing," Hadrian replied, "Like, did it hurt when you fell from heaven? And I lost my number; can I have yours? I also heard my cousin tell some girl: You must be tired, because you've been running through my mind all day."

"Those are terrible," Draco wrinkled his nose, "And that one, about losing your number, what does that even mean?"

"Oh, Muggles communicate by using phones, and each phone has a number that you have to dial in order to talk to whomever the phone belongs to," Hadrian explained, "I agree though; it seems pick-up lines are pathetic in both worlds. I would think that honest compliments would work better."

"You're right-they do work better," Draco agreed, "By the way, has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful eyes? They really sparkle when you laugh." Hadrian blushed and looked away from Draco's intense gaze; "You look cute when you get embarrassed like that too." The blond smirked as Hadrian glared at him, his cheeks even redder now.

"I-just-shut it you," Hadrian said, "So, when we get back from Diagon Alley do you think we can go flying? Maybe we can play a seeker's game."

The quidditch talk carried them the rest of the way to the first floor breakfast nook, and through breakfast with Lucius and Narcissa as well; Severus still had not returned. Once they were finished with breakfast Narcissa, Hadrian and Draco retired to the drawing room so that they could floo to Diagon Alley.

"Will we be using the floo in the leaky cauldron?" Hadrian questioned innocently.

"Oh Merlin, no!" Narcissa looked scandalized, "Malfoy's are not seen in seedy places such as that; since we are purchasing clothing for you I contacted Madame Malkin and she agreed to let us use her floo. You go first Draco, and the Hadrian can follow behind you."

"Of course Mother," Draco agreed, taking a handful of floo powder; "Madam Malkin's!" He vanished in a whirl of green flames, and Hadrian followed immediately after, stumbling as usual when he arrived at Madam Malkin's. "That was graceful," Draco teased, helping Hadrian brush his clothes off, "You really must learn how to exit the floo without making such a mess." Hadrian stuck his tongue out at Draco and turned away just as Narcissa came through.

"Alright boys, Madam Malkin should be waiting for us in the main room," Narcissa informed them, "Come along." She ushered them into the main shop where they were greeted by Madam Malkin; for the next two hours Hadrian had to suffer through being measured and fitted for robes, and then he had to try on everything that caught either of the Malfoy's fancy. By the time they were done choosing his clothing, Hadrian was about ready to take a nap.

"Well, now your everyday clothes are done we need to get you some dress robes," Draco said as the clothier tallied up the purchases, "Where should we go to purchase those?"

"We could go over to Paris," Narcissa mused, "It's only nine, so this early in the day there shouldn't be much of a wait for the international floo, and then we can lunch in Paris as well. How much is that Madam Malkin?"

"That will be five galleons and three sickles," the witch replied, "Should I just add it to your account?"

"No, I'll pay for it," Hadrian said as he pulled out his money pouch, which still had some coins in it from his last trip to Gringotts.

"Nonsense," Narcissa brushed the offer aside, "Think of it as a late Christmas gift. Yes, you can add it to out account." Hadrian remained silent as Narcissa settled the account and arranged for the clothes to be delivered to the manor. The trio headed out into the street, and Narcissa said, "Now, we can go to Gringotts to get some money out of your vault Had-Harry dear, and then we can go to Paris to finish buying your clothes-"

"Do we really have to?" Hadrian asked, "I really don't like shopping for clothes; can't I just owl order whatever you think I need?"

"Why don't I go get your formal clothes in Paris and you boys can roam Diagon Alley for a couple of hours?" Narcissa suggested, taking pity on the boy, "I have your measurements from Madam Malkin's, and you really do get a better quality of clothing when you go in person; we can meet up for lunch at the Bella Notte Cafe at one."

"That would be great," Hadrian beamed, "Thank you Narcissa; I'll give you some of my money to use for my clothes-"

"No need," Narcissa interrupted gently, "Tom sent over some money early this morning to pay for anything you might need; you don't have to worry about money yourself any longer now that you have him. Now, let's go to Gringotts and then you boys can be off."

"Ah, Mr. Riddle," Hadrian was startled when Griphook addressed him as soon as he entered the bank, and looked around quickly to see if anyone had heard the goblin; "Not to worry," Griphook assured him, "There is no one here to overhear us. Your father owled me this morning, so I have been expecting you; if you would all follow me." Without waiting for a response, Griphook went down a small side corridor, leaving the boys and Narcissa to follow. The goblin led them to a rich-looking office (the furniture was made of polished ebony with gold accents and the chairs were richly upholstered in dark blue velvet while the bookshelves held numerous expensive-looking objects made of gold and silver and sparkling gems) and gestured for them to take seats across from him.

"The elder Mr. Riddle sent a letter early this morning requesting we take some volumes out of the Slytherin vault and give them to Mrs. Malfoy to be transferred to his home at a later time," Griphook informed them; he pulled out an ancient-looking leather-bound book, "I just need to verify your identity first Mr. Riddle, as our contract with Salazar Slytherin states that we can only release his personal effects to his heir; once we release the books to you however you are free to hand them to Mrs. Malfoy for safe-keeping."

"Oh, er, okay," Hadrian agreed, "So…do I put my hand on the book?"

"Not quite," Griphook replied, producing a bright orange quill, "You will use this phoenix-feather quill to sign your name-your true name-and then I will simply require a drop of blood next to your signature." He passed the book and the quill to Hadrian, who signed his name _Hadrian Thomas Riddle_ without any hesitation, and then pricked his finger with the tip of the quill, letting the drop of blood land next to his signature before passing the quill and the book back to Griphook. The goblin waved his hand over the book and murmured something too soft for them to hear and Hadrian's signature glowed brightly for a moment before fading.

"Very good," Griphook said, "I will go fetch the requested volumes myself while you visit your vaults; if you step outside my office Thorokav will take you to your vaults and I will meet you in the lobby when you are done."

"Thank you for your help Griphook," Narcissa smiled down at the goblin as she stood, "Come along boys."

"Thank you Griphook," Hadrian echoed as he and Draco followed Narcissa out into the hall where another goblin was waiting to take them down to the vaults. The cart ride was un-eventful as Narcissa took out money for herself and Draco, while Hadrian filled his own pouch with coins from the Riddle vault. By the time they reached the lobby Griphook was already waiting for them; he handed them a small steel box which he informed them held the volumes requested by Tom Riddle, and Narcissa shrank it to fit in her purse before thanking Griphook once again and leading the boys back out into Diagon Alley.

"Alright Draco," Narcissa turned to face them, "I am going to head to Paris now so that I can purchase Hadrian's wardrobe; would you like me to bring you back anything special?"

"No thank you Mother," Draco replied, "What time should we meet you at the restaurant?"

"Why don't we say one o'clock?" Narcissa suggested, "That gives me plenty of time to finish shopping, and you boys will be able to explore for the next few hours. Just make sure you don't wander off alone; there are still people after both of you."

"We'll be safe Narcissa," Hadrian assured her, "We're just going to walk around a bit and I want to drop in on Fred and George Weasley-as long as the rest of their family isn't nearby."

"Yes, don't worry Mother," Draco smirked, "I will keep him out of trouble." He kissed her on the cheek, ignoring Hadrian's pout, "Have a good trip." Narcissa smiled brightly at both boys and bid them farewell before walking down to the apparition point. "Did you want to visit the twins first?" Draco asked Hadrian, and the brunet nodded.

"Yeah; even if they're busy right now we can at least set up a better time to go talk to them," he said, "They told me their shop is next to Flourish and Blott's." He allowed Draco to link their arms and they started off down the cobblestone streets together. As they walked, Hadrian remembered that Draco's birthday was the following day and wondered what he should buy the blond; he didn't really know what to get him, and how would he shop when they needed to stay together? Maybe he could get one of the twins to help him shop…

"This is impressive," Draco said as they came to a stop outside of the twins shop; it was a three story building with a sign reading 'Weasley's Wizarding Wheeze's' in bright magenta letter's directly above the door. Some of the windows showcased items that the twins had invented, while others had signs such as the one reading; "You-Know-Who? You-No-Poo; The Constipation Sensation That's Sweeping The Nation*."

"Of course it's amazing," Hadrian smirked as he pushed open the door, pulling Draco in after him, "Why do you think I'm their financial backer and silent partner? I've always known Fred and George were brilliant."

"Why thank you, O Chosen One," one of the twins-wearing bright magenta robes that matched the sign outside-walked in and gave Harry an exaggerated bow, "You're not so bad yourself."

"Hi Fred," Hadrian grinned, "Where's George?" He craned his neck, looking around the store which was fairly crowded for being so early in the morning; he could see Lee Jordan and Angelina Johnson wearing robes the same color as Fred's and helping customers and waved at both of them.

"He's in the back," Fred replied, before shouting over his shoulder, "Oi! George! You have a visitor! He's quite handsome too; if you don't hurry and get out here I just might steal him from you!"

"Shut it," Hadrian scowled, blushing, "Why do you always start in on me?"

"Because you're the only one who can tell us apart," George replied as he joined them, "It gets quite annoying. Now, why are you practically holding hands with Malfoy there, and why does he look like he's about to hex me?" Hadrian looked up at Draco in surprise, but the blond quickly schooled his features to show nothing but bored indifference.

"Oh;" Hadrian blushed again, "I know you guys kinda know each other, but Fred and George-this is Draco; Draco-Fred and George. Look, I know there has been a lot of bad history between your families, but things have changed; can we go somewhere private to talk?" The twins shared a look and then nodded.

"Sure; let me just tell Lee and Angelina to watch the shop for us," Fred said, "Georg can take you upstairs to our flat."

"You live above your shop?" Draco sneered as they followed George, "How…plebian. Ow!" He winced as Hadrian jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow.

"Be nice Draco," Hadrian glared at him, "Fred and George are my friends, and you have no reason to be an ass to them; we want their help, remember?" Draco scowled but nodded, mumbling;

"Sorry I insulted you Weasley," he was embarrassed at having to apologize, but the bright smile Hadrian flashed at him made it worth it, "You know, you really do have a beautiful smile." He was rewarded by another blush and a chuckle from George.

"Here we are," George informed them as they came to the top of the stairs; "This is our living room-which is pretty much just for when family comes to visit. Can Malfoy here be trusted?"

"Yes," Hadrian replied without hesitation, "I trust him completely. He paused thoughtfully for a moment, then added, "Not entirely sure why though; did you confound me Draco? 'Cos you know, I don't think my new-found…Tom would appreciate that."

"Unless he's in on it," Draco said completely seriously, "With Sev's help anything is possible; you know that." He rolled his eyes when Hadrian looked at him suspiciously, "Please; if I had confounded you, would I really have let Mother take us out in public where someone could foil my plans? That wouldn't be very bright of me, now would it Hades?"

"I suppose not," Hadrian replied grudgingly, "So, yeah George; I trust Draco."

"Okay then," George nodded, "Follow me." He led them through a door at the back of the living room which led to a more intimate room with work tables along the back wall and a few comfortable chairs arranged in the middle, "This is our planning room; you two are the only ones aside from Fred and I to see it, so no telling people what we have in here. You two want something to drink?" He gestured for Draco and Hadrian to sit down, and didn't fail to notice the way Draco took the lead, pulling the brunet to sit next to him on the small couch; there was definitely something going on here, and he'd have to discover what it was…

"If by "something to drink" you mean water or another beverage that is not part of your joke products and will not cause any side-effects, then yes," Hadrian replied with a grin, causing George to pout.

"Oh, you're no fun Harry," he said as he brought out some butterbeers for everyone, "So, I guess you're here to tell us what happened to you? Mum is right pissed; said Dumbledore came by because he was looking for you after you went missing from the Muggles house."

"Yeah, a lot happened that I need to tell you and Fred about," Hadrian said, "I don't want to go over it more often than necessary though, so I'll wait for him to get up here."

"Aw, waiting for me? How sweet," Fred teased as he joined them, shutting the door and setting up some privacy charms before taking a seat next to his brother, "Okay, so you want to tell us what's going on Harry? And why you're suddenly friends with the mini-Malfoy? And why you look different."

"I'm taller than he is," Draco scowled as Hadrian laughed at him, "I think I liked Luna and Neville better; at least they didn't mock me. And he looks different because now he actually resembles his father."

"They're just teasing you Draco," Hadrian tried to soothe him, "They don't mean anything by it. Anyway, we don't have a lot of time, but there's a lot you guys need to know." He looked at the twins, who were serious for once as they waited for him to continue, "I guess I should start with what happened to make me leave the Muggles house." He sighed, not looking forward to having to tell the whole story again.

"Would you like me to tell them?" Draco offered, "I'm sure you're tired of repeating everything by now."

"Would you?" Hadrian smiled at him, "I'll start it off, if you could just pick up from when you found me." Draco nodded, and Hadrian smiled again in thanks before telling the twins what had happened with his relatives, starting with Dumbledore's visit; "And I couldn't change out of my form, but I was hungry so I jumped over the fence to catch some-what I thought were-turkey's-they turned out to be peacock's-and a house elf stopped me…"

"And that's when Tillie told me we had a trespasser," Draco picked up the story, "Imagine my surprise when I walked into the back garden to see a black tiger getting ready to pounce on Father's pet peacocks-and then I saw his eyes and the small mark on his forehead and realized it was Hadr-Harry, so I took him in the house…" Draco finished the story, pausing to glance at Hadrian every once in a while to make sure he wanted to share certain parts of the story, and ended with describing some of the more important memories."

"Wait, so you're saying Ginny isn't really our sister?" Fred demanded, "That's just-" He broke off, shaking his head in denial.

"Look, I know Mum is slightly mad, but no way would she kidnap a baby and watch as its' parents were killed!" George protested, "Harry-this must be some sort of Death Eater plot; how can you believe this?"

"Because I saw the memories myself," Hadrian replied quietly, "How do you think I felt? I spent the last sixteen years believing my parents were James and Lily Potter, killed by Lord Voldemort, only to find out that Voldemort was created by Dumbledore and is, in fact, my father. Not only that, but both of my parents are alive, and I have a twin sister out there somewhere, plus who-knows-how-many other family members that Dumbledore never told me about. He destroyed my childhood, messed with everyone's memories, and paid Muggle's to abuse me my whole life. Fred, George-I know this is hard to believe, but it's the truth, and I need you guys now more than ever. Also, I'm not Harry anymore-it's Hadrian Riddle, at least in private with people I trust."

"I-this is a lot to take in," George replied, "We need a minute to just process everything…"

"Yeah, it's not that we don't trust you Har-er, Hadrian," Fred agreed, "but you had the advantage of actually seeing the memories-we haven't."

"I could arrange for you to see them," Draco said suddenly, "At least, I think I can, unless Mother and Father gave the house elve's specific orders against removing the vials…Tillie!" There was a small pop, and then the house elf appeared, bowing.

"What can Tillie be doing for Young Master?" she asked.

"I need you to bring me the vial of memories that Hadrian and I viewed yesterday," Draco commanded, before looking at the twins, "Do you have a pensieve?"

"Yeah," George nodded, "I'll get it out." He went to a cabinet at the back of the room and pulled out a plain stone pensieve.

"Good," Draco said, "Just bring the memories Tillie, and don't tell my parents, Sev or Tom unless they specifically ask about it; then you can tell them we are showing the memories to someone that Hadrian trusts explicitly."

"Yes, Master Draco!" Tillie said excitedly, "Tillie is doing as you asks!" Tillie vanished, and reappeared a few seconds later with the vial of memories, "When Young Master is done call Tillie and Tillie will return memories." She bowed once again and left.

"Okay, here," Draco pulled the cork out of the vial and poured the memoires into the pensieve, "Do you want us to leave while you're in the pensieve? It can take a while."

"That's okay," Fred said, "You guys are welcome to stay here; just don't mess with our inventions, because we will not be held responsible if you wind up with pink and purple striped hair."

"Or fairy wings," George added helpfully, "Definitely won't be held responsible if you grow fairy wings." Hadrian shook his head and gestured for the twins to enter the pensive; once they were in, Hadrian turned to Draco;

"Why don't you like the twins?" he asked, and Draco blinked in startlement, before replying.

"I don't…they were flirting with you," he scowled, "And making fun of me. You don't get mad at them for flirting!"

"They're just joking around," Hadrian laughed, "I promise they don't see me like that; they're like brothers to me. Besides, how many times do I have to tell you-"

"That you're not gay?" Draco interrupted, "Oh, until I believe you, which won't be happening anytime soon, not with the way you always cuddle up to me in my bed and try to catch a glimpse of me when I get out of the shower…not to mention you're always freaking out so that I can hold you and calm you down."

"What?!" Hadrian screeched, "That isn't-I don't…grrr! I really hate you Draco Malfoy!" He tried to get up off the couch, but Draco chuckled as he grabbed his arm and pulled him back down, wrapping an arm around Hadrian's waist and pulling him flush against his side.

"Now, don't be like that Hades," Draco chided, "We both know you like me, and I like you, so why not…"

"I don't like you!" Hadrian protested futilely struggling in Draco's grip as he glared at the blond, "I just…I don't know what I feel." Hadrian lowered his eyes and bit his bottom lip, "I-I never thought I was gay, but then Luna said…and Neville…and I just don't know!" He let out an exasperated sigh and leaned his head back on the couch, finally giving up on trying to escape Draco's grasp.

"It can be confusing to figure out what you feel," Draco conceded, "and I know I should probably give you some space to think, but that's just not me; I can't do that. If you want to talk about it however, I would be more than happy to listen. What happened with Luna and Neville yesterday?"

"They just…promise you won't laugh or make fun of me?"

"I promise," Draco said, "So tell me Hades."

"I saw Luna's cousin sitting on your lap and I started to feel…I didn't like it," Hadrian said, "Luna mentioned that you seemed to like Celeste, but that you liked me more and we started talking about flirting and somehow they-Luna and Nev-decided that you liked me and that I probably liked you too. Then, Neville made me do this stupid little test that he felt proved his point."

"What sort of test?" Draco inquired, and Hadrian replied hesitantly.

"Neville had me close my eyes as he listed some of our classmates," he told Draco, "Just a few different guys and girls, and evidently I was able to describe the boys with more detail than the girls…they seemed to be shocked because I don't know who Astoria Greengrass is-the name sounds familiar though…Greengrass; isn't there a Greengrass on our year?" He lifted his head and looked at Draco curiously.

"Daphne," Draco replied, and Hadrian could hear the trace of amusement in his voice, as well as see the repressed smile, "Daphne and Astoria-along with the Patil Twins-are considered by most to be the prettiest girls in school. So, who else did they have you describe?"

"Hermione, Susan Bones, Cho and…I don't remember the other girl," Hadrian admitted, "Then he had me describe Ron, Blaise, Zacharias Smith, Seamus and…you." He paused for a moment, and Draco remained silent as he waited for him to continue, "I was able to describe you the best," Hadrian said, feeling his cheeks heat in embarrassment, "I think it's to be expected though; I have spent the last twenty-four hours with you!" He pouted and looked away from Draco again.

"Yes, but you have been best friends with the Weasel since first year," Draco pointed out, "and you've shared a dorm with Seamus for the same amount of time; you should have been able to describe them just as well as me. Is it so horrible to consider the fact that you might be gay, and that you are attracted to me?"

"Oh, so I might be gay, but I am attracted to you?" Hadrian arched an eyebrow.

"So you admit it," Draco smirked, catching Hadrian's hand when the Gryffindor tried to knock him upside the head, "Why don't we perform our own test to see if you're interested in me, hmm?" He said teasingly as he pulled the smaller boy closer, "How about a kiss?"

"I-Draco!" Hadrian turned his head to the side, embarrassed, and Draco released Hadrian's hand so that he could cup Hadrian's face and make him face him.

"It's just a kiss Hades," he said softly, pulling his face closer.

"Oi! You're not doing that on our couch!" the shout made Hadrian break away from Draco, blushing as he saw the twins grinning at them, "Why Har-er, Hadrian-look at you; snagging yourself a Malfoy." Fred let out a wolf-whistle, and Hadrian buried his face in Draco's shoulder to hide his blush, not even consciously aware of what he was doing; he just knew that he felt safe when Draco wrapped his arms around his shoulders, one hand carding through the brunet's thick locks. It hadn't taken the twins long to view the memories, as they fast-forwarded through many of them since Hadrian and Draco had already told them what they contained; they were just verifying some of the information.

"So, do you believe us now?" Draco asked, hiding his annoyance at being interrupted-he had been so close to getting a real kiss from Hadrian, and then those meddlesome twins had interrupted them! He glared at said twins, and they grinned back unabashedly for a moment before turning serious.

"Yes Malfoy," George began;

"We believe you," Fred finished, "So now what-"

"Do we do?" George replaced the memories in the vial and tossed it to Draco, who placed it in his pocket, quite forgetting to call Tillie to take it back to the manor.

"Well, you know how our parents had the Order of the Black Rose?" Draco continued after the twins nodded, "They intend to start it up again, however they refuse to allow us to be part of it, so we decided to start our own group to fight against Dumbledore."

"Why do the adults always want to keep us out of it?" Fred shook his head.

"Yeah, the Order of the Phoenix is the same way," George agreed, "So do you two have a plan for how to set up this group?"

"We have some ideas," Hadrian said as he pulled away from Draco slightly-the blond wouldn't let him go too far however, and he didn't want to cause a big scene in front of the twins, so he let Draco keep an arm around his shoulders, "You two are brilliant with your inventions, so I thought that you could be our spies, and we're going to get Neville and Luna in on it, but we haven't planned much beyond that."

"We have to set up ways to communicate," Draco added, "and figure out where we can meet, and how to set up the organization itself; decide who the leaders will be and such. We have to wait for some things until certain people get their memories back and discover who they truly are, and I want Hadrian to meet my friends so that we can decide together who might be trustworthy enough to include in the group."

"We should have some sort of oath," Fred suggested, "a binding Wizard's Promise not to betray the organization…"

"Hermione would be helpful with that," George added, "she's supposed to be coming by here with Ron later; why don't we show her the memories?"

"Tom said we should wait until they have a chance to try and heal Bellatrix," Hadrian replied, "but…we could really use her help…"

"I say we do it," Draco said, "What are they going to do-hex us? Tom isn't evil anymore, remember? The worst that will happen is they'll take away our brooms for a week or so."

"What time are they supposed to drop by?" Hadrian asked the twins.

"About two," George replied, and Hadrian shook his head.

"That won't work," he informed them, "We have to meet Narcissa for lunch at one, and then I'm sure we'll be going back to the manor. Is Hermione staying at the Burrow?"

"Yeah," Fred nodded, "Just got there last night after Dumbledore visited her parents; she'll be staying the summer."

"Okay, we need a way to communicate, and then we can set up a meeting with her," Hadrian said, "What about-what about Ginny? No matter how it came to happen she's still your sister, and we won't show her the memories yet unless you agree, but Tom wants me to show her after we get back to school."

"We'll have to talk about it," George said and Fred nodded;

"You can probably talk to her and Hermione at the same time, but…we need to make sure they can get away from Mum's for a bit first," Fred said.

"I'm sure they'll both be upset, and Mum might get the truth out of them, which wouldn't be good for anyone," George added, and Hadrian nodded.

"What about Lovegood?" Draco suggested, "Doesn't she live near your parents?"

"Just on the other side of the hill," Fred nodded.

"Have Luna invite them over for a weekend," Draco said, "From what I understand she pretty much does as she pleases, so they can floo to Neville's from there, and we can meet them; we just need to convince our parents to talk to Neville's grandmother first so she won't object to the meeting."

"That's brilliant!" Hadrian beamed, spontaneously hugging the Slytherin, whose cheeks were tinged a slight pink, "Now we just need to figure out the best time…and a way to talk to each other when we're apart."

"Actually, I think we have the solution for communicating," George said slowly, "Fred and I have been working on these joke parchments; they're supposed to insult you when you write on them, but they somehow wound up linked so that if you write on one parchment the message appears on the other. We only have a few parchments ready at the moment and we need to figure out how to replicate the effect, but if you two share one, Fred and I can share one, and then you can give one to either Neville or Luna until we make more."

"I always knew you guys were smart," Hadrian grinned, "It's a shock you didn't get better grades in school."

"School was boring," Fred sniffed, "Too tame; not enough excitement for us mate. The parchments are in the top drawer of my desk," he told George, who went to fetch them, along with some quills and ink; "Speaking of mates-are you two dating now?"

"No!" Hadrian cried, feeling his cheeks heat once again.

"Not yet," Draco corrected, "I am in the process of convincing Hadrian that he wants me. It was starting to work too, until you decided to interrupt us." He glared at the twins again, as he recalled his earlier frustration.

"Don't blame them Dray," Hadrian said, "I told you I'm not that easy to convince. So hey; do one of you guys want to come shopping with me real quick?"

"What about me?" Draco pouted, "You can't be planning to leave me here!"

"I am if you want a birthday present," Hadrian retorted, and Draco perked up.

"Oh; well, that's different then," he said, "What are you getting me?"

"Like I would tell you," Hadrian laughed, "Besides-I don't know yet; you can stay here and plan some more while I shop with-who's coming with me?"

"I'll go," George offered, "You want a disguise? We have some polyjuice potion so you can be Fred."

"Um, I'll pass thanks," Hadrian said, "Not a big fan of polyjuice potion. I can wear my cloak though, if you think that would be better."

"Nah, it's no big deal," George waved his hand dismissively; "You need anything while we're out?"

"Nope; I'm good," Fred replied.

"Just don't be too long," Draco told Hadrian, "I still want to wander around a bit before we have to meet Mum."

"I'll try to be fast," Hadrian replied, "I'll come back within the hour regardless, and then we'll still have an hour or so to wander around." He stood up and followed George out the door, leaving Draco and Fred alone in the twins living quarters.

*******Author's Note*****Sorry it's been taking so long between chapters-between having to go to work at an insanely early hour and having to unplug the computer due to summer storms I don't get the chance to update often. The good news is I'm already about halfway through the next chapter, so hopefully I'll be able to post it by mid-week. Thank you to everyone who reviewed; the reviews make for a happy author^_^ I hope you all enjoyed this new chapter-until next time!**

***This is from the signs in the twins shop in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.**


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. 'Nuff Said.

Warnings: Abuse, Slash (MxM), Evil Dumbledore…possibly more later.

Note: In my story Voldemort is going to be close in age to Lucius, Severus, the Marauder's, etc.

"So, any idea what you want to get your boyfriend?" George teased, chuckling at Hadrian's glare.

"He's not my boyfriend," Hadrian replied, "He's…just a friend. And I really don't know what to get him. Not a book; I refuse to give books as birthday gifts to anyone except Hermione. Maybe something for Quidditch? Or he likes potions…" Hadrian trailed off thoughtfully as the two boys walked down Diagon Alley together, looking in shop windows but never actually going inside.

"How about jewelry?" George suggested, "Purebloods like to show off their status and wealth; many of them will wear a nice chain or even a bracelet. Let's look in that trinket store."

"Might as well," Hadrian shrugged, "I haven't had any better ideas." He followed George into the store and they looked around at the crowded shelves; there was a little bit of everything in here-jewelry, wand holsters, canes, daggers, knick-knacks…Hadrian examined a silver band with a dragon on it, but decided it would give Draco the wrong idea-he had just accepted that he may be attracted to the Slytherin, but a ring seemed to indicate commitment of a sort Hadrian wasn't sure he was ready for-and set it back down. Towards the back of the store, however, he found something he thought Draco would like.

"Hey; George!" He called, "Come look at this and tell me what you think!" A few moments later George appeared, looking over Hadrian's shoulder at the items on the shelf; "It's a whole collection of dragon figurines, and they actually move and breathe fire and everything!" Hadrian was bouncing in his excitement, making George smile, "Do you think they'd be a good gift for Draco? Or are they too childish?"

"I think you should get them," George said, "His name does mean dragon after all." He picked up the miniature Greenland Ice dragon, which appeared to be made of crystal and chuckled as it blew tiny icicles at him, before catching sight of a strange symbol on the wing. "Definitely buy these;" he told Harry, "If the price is reasonable I'd tell you to buy the whole collection. If nothing else, I'm sure Draco will be amused by the dragons."

"Okay," Hadrian agreed happily, picking up a nearby basket and carefully setting all twenty dragons inside, "did you want to look at anything else in here?"

"Nah," George said, "We need to start heading back to the shop anyway. Excuse me sir;" George caught the shopkeeper's attention, "How much for these dragon trinkets?"

"Hmm, let me see…" the salesperson replied, "One galleon a piece, so twenty for the set."

"He's buying all twenty; I think that deserves a discount-twelve galleons," George countered.

"I'll do it for seventeen."

"Fifteen."

"Very well," the sales person sighed, "Fifteen galleons it is." Hadrian shook his head and paid for the dragons, and they waited a moment while they were wrapped and packaged safely in a charmed container.

"Thank you!" Hadrian called out as he followed George back into the alley, "You don't think fifteen was a lot to pay for some trinkets?" He asked his friend.

"Oh, Harry; those aren't mere trinkets," George replied, a twinkle in his eyes, "I happened to see a certain symbol on the wing of the dragon I was looking at-those dragons were crafted by Isabella Slytherin, Salazar's only child; she was well known for making exquisite items that even the Muggle royalty purchased. We got those items for a steal. Don't feel bad," he continued quickly, grabbing Hadrian's arm as the younger boy started to turn back, "If he didn't know the worth of the dragons then he wasn't doing his job and has no business owning such a store. So, ready to head back now?"

"Yeah; I'm happy with Draco's present," Hadrian grinned, "I'm sure he'll love…" Hadrian trailed off as they came to the Magical Menagerie and he came to a stop; "I want to look in here really quick; come on." He walked into the dim shop, George following close behind.

"What are you looking for?" George asked, and Hadrian shrugged.

"I'm not sure, I just got this feeling as we were passing by," Hadrian replied, heading for the back of the store without really looking at the animals they passed, "It's like something was calling me…there!" He slowly approached a medium-sized cage at the back of the store, staring at the creature in awe; "Did you know-?"

"I had no idea," George replied, equally awe-struck, "A miniature French Sentinel; the full-size dragon is very protective of his…well, we call it an owner, but you can never truly own a dragon." The dragon was slightly bigger than a kitten, with pale blue opalescent scales, dark blue eyes, translucent wings the same color as the dragons scales, and a blue gemstone on its forehead. The dragon's tail was half-again the length of its body, making it around sixteen inches in length.

"I want it," Hadrian said, "This dragon is beautiful," he laughed as the dragon sat up, preening, "and has Draco's personality. I don't care how much it costs; I'll get some more money from Tom if I have to."

"I don't blame you," George said, "I'll go get the shop owner."

Ten minutes later they left the shop; Hadrian had decided to have the dragon delivered early the next morning so that Draco wouldn't see the dragon before-hand-it had cost him an unbelievable amount of money to purchase the miniature French Sentinel (578,942 Galleons for the dragon, plus another 2,852 for its habitat and two months worth of food-but they had waived the delivery fee), but he felt that it was well worth it; he just hoped Tom agreed when he found out. Hadrian frowned as he followed George back to the joke shop; he'd hate to get in trouble with his…father so soon after finding him…

******Fred and Draco

"So, you like Hadrian, eh Malfoy?" Fred inquired once the door had shut, "For how long?"

"I'm not sure," Draco replied thoughtfully, "I haven't hated him for a while now; I just realized I had feelings for him yesterday, but I've always been…drawn to Hadrian. Is this where you give me the 'hurt him and I'll torture you into madness' talk?"

"Well, it was," Fred pouted, "Only you kinda ruined it by expecting it. Seriously though-hurt him and I will make Dumbledore look like an angel; you have no idea what some of this stuff George and I invented does."

"Duly noted," Draco said, "Actually, perhaps you can help me out. We told you about that collar Hadrian is wearing; I want to find something that has similar protection charms on it without the whole having-to-obey me thing. I'd rather find other ways to make him do what I want." He and Fred shared a knowing look, smirking, and then the red-head turned thoughtful.

"I may be able to come up with something," he said, "George and I have been working on a line of adult novelty products, and inadvertently created some collars and chokers that can be used as defensive items; once we have a few more prototypes ready we plan to show them to Moody-he already bought a line of hex-repelling cloaks from us. I'm sure the charms on one of the collars should fit your requirements. Come over here with me." Draco followed him over to one of the work table and watched as Fred pulled out a small metal box; after cancelling the locking charms he removed a black velvet bag from the box, and out of that he pulled a selection of collars and chokers. "Do you see one you like?"

"You have some very high-quality items," Draco mused as he looked through the assortment, "How did you manage to acquire them?" He picked up that had a small silver dragon charm hanging from it and examined it closely; it was made of dark green leather set with numerous black opals, and the dragon had moonstones set as eyes.

"George is very good at haggling," Fred replied, as he watched Draco turn the choker over in his hands, "I thought you might like that one; it has charms built into it to repel minor hexes, and the opals and moonstones can actually store magic. You can set it up to release a spell with just one word; we wrote down some instructions on how to use it. Also, the dragon pendant works as a portkey-you can set it to be activated with a certain word and it will take the wearer to a pre-designated place-also, we tweaked it a bit so that if the wearer is in danger and unable to speak the word the portkey will activate automatically and take them to the closest safe place."

"I want it," Draco said, "How much?"

"Oh no;" Fred shook his head; "George and I agreed never to charge Harry-er, Hadrian for anything, since we wouldn't have this shop right now without him; take it."

"Absolutely not," Draco refused, "This may be for Hadrian, however I am giving it to him therefore I shall pay for it. So, how much?"

"Two galleons," Fred replied.

"Ten," Draco countered, and Fred grinned.

"Three." They bartered back and forth for a few minutes, before agreeing on a price of seven galleons.

"Now, the collar Hadrian is currently wearing allows him to assume his animagus form even though he hasn't learned how to do it himself yet," Draco said, "Is there any way you could replicate that enchantment on this choker?"

"I'd have to examine the collar," Fred mused, "but I'm pretty sure George and I can do it; it may take us a bit of time though."

"Of course," Draco nodded, "Hopefully Hadrian will trust me once I remove the collar."

"Why don't you remove it now?" Fred questioned.

"Because I'm afraid something bad will happen and I won't be there to protect him," Draco replied, "Fred-can I trust you with a secret? I mean, I know you'll tell George, and Hadrian will find out soon any way, but I would like to keep it secret from others for as long as possible."

"As long as it's not something that will harm Hadrian I'd be glad to keep your secret," Fred replied.

"Well, as you know most of the older wizarding families have "creature" blood in them," Draco began, "It seems there is Veela blood in both sides of my family, although it is more diluted in the Black family, and Severus and I think that the Veela traits may be dominant in me on my sixteenth birthday-which is tomorrow."

"Veela traits," Fred repeated frowning, "Such as…?"

"Having a mate," Draco all but whispered, looking down for a moment before meeting Fred's gaze, "I-we believe that Hadrian is my mate; ever since I found him so badly beaten in our gardens I have felt like I need to protect him, and I have felt irrational surges of jealousy. I suppose I have liked Hadrian for a while now although I only noticed it recently, but he seems to be dead-set against giving me a chance; he won't even kiss me." Draco pouted and then glared at Fred; "I almost got a kiss from him, but then you and your obnoxious brother had to ruin it."

"And embarrass Hadrian," Fred added, "Don't forget that part-and, when we embarrassed him, he turned to you for comfort, remember?"

"Hmm, that's true," Draco said slowly, before smirking, "I knew he couldn't resist me, not really. So, you think you'll have that choker fixed up within a week or two?"

"Yeah; shouldn't be a problem," Fred replied just as the door opened, revealing Hadrian and George, the former of which was carrying a small package and smiling in a very self-satisfied sort of way.

"We're back," George announced needlessly, "Did you boys have fun while we were gone? Not snogging on the couch were you?"

"Of course not," Draco scoffed, "like I would consent to snog a Weasley-your red hair and freckles would clash terribly with my own more aristocratic features."

"Right-o mate," Fred agreed, "Besides, the stick up your arse leaves very little room for a-"

"I do not want to hear about what Draco has up his arse," George interrupted, "Nor do I want to know what you would like to put up his arse."

"I agree," Hadrian said, blushing, "Besides, Draco and I should be going; we only have about an hour or so to explore and then we have to meet up with Narcissa for lunch."

"Ah, poor little Hadrian can't handle the adult talk," Fred teased as he put away the collars and chokers before Hadrian could get a good look at them, "I guess that means he won't be interested in backing our line of adult products."

"What adult products?" Hadrian asked curiously, instantly regretting it when he saw the mischievous look on the twins faces.

"We'll send you a brochure once we get it finished," George promised (threatened?), "We just need someone to print it out for us…we should ask Luna."

"Hmm, that we should," Fred agreed, "Hadrian, can I look at that collar your wearing?"

"Um, sure," Hadrian shrugged, allowing Fred to cast a couple of detection spells, "What are you doing?"

"I'm just curious about how the animagus feature on this thing works," Fred replied, "I told Draco that George and I are creating items for the auror department, and I think something like this could be useful." He stepped away from Hadrian and handed a sheet of parchment, two quills, and some ink to Draco; "These are the two-way parchments we mentioned earlier."

"Thank you," Draco said, moving over to stand by Hadrian, "I wanted to go look at Quality Quidditch; you ready to go Hades?"

"Yeah," Hadrian nodded, "Thanks for everything guys; we'll talk to you again in a few days." Draco nodded and George walked them out while Fred went to check on Lee and Angelina.

"Alright Draco-you take care of our littlest brother," George said, "See you guys soon." Hadrian waved as Draco linked their arms once again and they wandered off down the cobblestone lane.

The two boys wandered around Diagon Alley for the next hour, although they spent most of their time in Quality Quidditch looking at the new racing brooms; the Firebolt Company had a new broom that was set to come out for Christmas-the Firebolt Lightning.

"Named after you," Draco joked, "Since you were probably the first person not on a national quidditch team to actually fly one."

"Shut it you," Hadrian returned, sticking his tongue out at his friend, "This thing looks awesome; I can't even imagine how much it's going to cost when it finally comes out."

"It's not like you need one," Draco pointed out, "Your Firebolt is still basically brand-new. Come on; I need to pick up some potions supplies." He pulled a protesting Hadrian out of the quidditch shop and down to the apothecary, and from there they went to Eyelops to get some owl treats, before-at Draco's insistence-stopping by Ollivander's to get Hadrian his own customized wand holster.

By the time they finished at Ollivander's it was time to meet Narcissa for lunch; the Bella Notte Café turned out to be a small Italian restaurant down a side alley and far away from the normal hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley. After lunch Narcissa said she needed to confirm the plans for Draco's party the following day, so she went to Celeste's Event Boutique while Hadrian and Draco sat down outside Florean Fortescue's enjoying some ice cream cones. They were in the middle of talking about what Hadrian could expect at Draco's birthday party the following day when a familiar voice made Hadrian freeze.

"Harry! What the hell are you doing with the ferret?" Hadrian looked up with wide eyes to see Ron, Ginny and Hermione standing just a few feet away, "Get away from him, Death Eater!"

"Stop it Ron," Hadrian said, "Draco and I are friends now, which is more than I can say about you; didn't you get my letter?"

"We got the letter," Hermione said, "and it was very hurtful; how could you say such things to us Harry? We've been your best friends since first year, and for you to just accuse us of using you…and then you turned to Malfoy for help?! And what happened to your glasses?"

"Just stop it already," Hadrian stood up, glaring at the two people he had once considered to be his best friends, "I know. I overheard Dumbledore talking to my relative's, and then the way you two have been acting-telling me I was making things up and that the Muggles only wanted what's best for me…I know you were only using me, just like I know Dumbledore has been paying the Muggles to mistreat me. I didn't go to Draco on purpose-I found him when I was trying to get somewhere safe, and he took care of me."

"How can you accuse us of using you?" Ginny demanded, looking hurt, "He's a Death Eater Harry! He's only pretending to help you so that he can turn you over to Voldemort! Even if Dumbledore was doing as you said, you still should have come to us for help; why don't you trust us Harry?" Hadrian focused on Ginny, ignoring the other two for a moment, and saw hurt in her brown eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry Ginny," he said, "It's just that with what I overheard Dumbledore saying I couldn't risk trusting your family because I know that they have always supported him. And as for Draco-I didn't go looking for him; I stumbled across his property by mistake and when he found me I asked for sanctuary, which he granted. That's why I am staying at his manor until I figure everything out; it's the safest place for me since the Malfoy's and any of their guests-including Voldemort-are unable to hurt me. Draco didn't have to grant me sanctuary, but he did, and he helped heal the injuries the Muggles gave me, so I decided to give him a little bit of trust."

"That's bullshit!" Ron yelled, taking a menacing step towards Draco, who had wisely decided to stay out of the argument, "He's a no good lying piece of shit snake! How can you trust him! After everything I've done for you Harry; everything I've had to put up with!"

"Ron," Hermione began, sounding tense, "I don't think-"

"Everything you've had to put up with?!" Hadrian cried in disbelief, "You never put up with anything! Any time I really needed you, you abandoned me unless it was something that could get you recognition! In fourth year you even accused me of cheating to get in the Tri-wizard tournament and refused to talk to me! I heard you last year complaining to Dumbledore about how insufferable I am and how you hated pretending to be friends with me-well, guess what? You don't have to worry about that anymore! Oh, and you know how you beat out McLagen for the Keeper position? You only did better than him-"

"Harry! No!" Hermione cried, trying to stop him from saying what she knew would be coming next.

"-because Hermione confounded him!" Hadrian continued, ignoring Hermione's pleas, "You're as worthless at quidditch as you are everything else! You are a sorry excuse for-" Hadrian's tirade was interrupted when Ron, whose face had been growing steadily redder, suddenly leapt at Hadrian and knocked him to the ground, slamming his fist into the other boys face.

"Hadrian!" Draco cried jumping to his feet only to be pushed out of the way by Hermione, who stood above the two brawling boys anxiously reprimanding them and begging them to stop. When he tried to get up again, Draco found that he had been stuck to the chair, and saw a satisfied smirk on Ginny's face before she turned her attention back to the fight; she must have used one of the twin's products, which meant he was more than likely stuck until it wore off. "Hadrian!" He cried again, straining his neck so that he could watch the brunet and red-head fight on the ground; Weasley had the upper-hand, pinning the smaller boy by straddling his waist as he threw punches at Hadrian's face. Draco continued to struggle to get out of the chair-he needed to help Hadrian! It was his job to protect him, and here he was, uselessly stuck to a chair. "Granger!" The bushy-haired Gryffindor looked at him with wild eyes; "He needs help; Ron is going to send him to the hospital. I know you don't like me, but I did promise Had-erm, Harry sanctuary, and I am bound to help him. The girl Weasley stuck me to the chair; release me so I can stop this fight!"

"Do you promise not to attack Ron?" Hermione asked anxiously, "Because I can't let you attack him, not even to save Harry."

"I just want to pull him off Harry," Draco assured her, "I won't attack him unless he attacks me first."

"Fine," Hermione nodded, "Ginny! Give me the counter to the twin's sticky potion. Now!" She glared when the younger girl hesitated, and Ginny hurried to obey, glaring at Draco the whole time. Moments later Draco was free, and he sprang up to rip the boys apart, only to see Hadrian finally knock Ron back and jump on him; now it was Hadrian's turn to beat Ron. "Malfoy! I thought you were going to stop them!" Hermione pleaded, looking at Draco with wide brown eyes."

"That was when the weasel had the upper-hand," Draco replied nonchalantly, "I feel that Harry is entitled to get a few swings of his own in before I interfere. Knock his head off!" He encouraged the brunet, smirking as he saw Ron struggling to get away; the red-head was taller and had a wider build than Hadrian, but the smaller boy was somehow holding Ron down-Draco suspected that his magic had leapt up and enabled him to protect himself. When he saw Ron knock Hadrian off of him again, Draco decided it was time to interfere and he immediately pulled Hadrian to his feet and stood in front of him protectively.

"This is all your fault Malfoy!" Ron screamed and Draco noticed that he looked quite insane, his eyes were wild, his face was bloody, and he was shaking in anger, "You took Harry from me, and I'm going to kick your fucking ass!" He leapt forward and grabbed Draco's shirt, only to be hit by a red stunner.

"Well, hullo there Ronniekins," Fred-or was it George? Draco wasn't sure-said cheerfully, although he noticed the twin had his eyes narrowed at his younger brother, "Attacking classmates in the street now are you? Mum will not be pleased. Malfoy; is he alright?" Draco looked over his shoulder at Hadrian, who appeared to be fine except for a black eye, a busted lip, and possibly a broken nose.

"I believe so," Draco replied, "Mother should be able to fix him right up; how did you know to show up?"

"Are you kidding?" Fred-Draco was almost positive that's who it was-raised his eyebrow, "Have you even noticed the crowd you've drawn?" For the first time Draco looked around and noticed that everyone in Diagon Alley had stopped to watch the fight, "Luckily, you Colin Creevey was here with his parents and he told us what was going on; George is keeping an eye on the store. You sure you're okay mate?" He looked at Hadrian, who nodded but didn't reply, "Okay, but owl me later; for now I need to get Ronniekins up to the store so we can wait for Mum. Hermione and Ginny-you'd better come with us as well."

"Harry?" Hermione said softly, "I-I'm sorry I didn't try to stop Ron, or let Malfoy help you sooner. I was just really upset at the things you said and…" she trailed off when Hadrian turned his head away, and noticed with surprise how Draco immediately wrapped an arm around her friends waist to comfort and support him. "I hope you can forgive me. Come on Ginny." She gave Hadrian one last saddened look before grabbing Ginny by the arm and leading her after Fred and Ron. For her part, Ginny had a confused look on her face, and she kept her head turned to watch Hadrian and Draco until she couldn't see them anymore.

"Come on Hades," Draco said softly, directing Hadrian to sit in a chair, "Sit here and rest until Mother returns. Are you truly okay?" Hadrian nodded, shook his head, and then shrugged, tilting his head to the side so that Draco could see the bruises on his neck for the first time. "He was strangling you?" Draco demanded in outrage, gently touching the bruises, "I should have knocked that little prick's head off. You can't talk?" Hadrian shook his head again, and Draco gently caressed his cheek, although the last thing he wanted right now was to be gentle; what he really wanted to do was go after Weasley and hex him until he couldn't stand. "Oh, Hades; I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you; the Weaslette used one of the twins products to stick me to my chair and I had to wait for Granger to release me. Don't worry though; I promise he will pay for hurting you like this."

"Ah, Harry my boy!" both boys looked up to see Dumbledore approaching their table, wearing blinding neon-green robes with pink stars, "What happened to you? Did you and Mr. Malfoy get into another altercation? I am very disappointed in you both, and I can guarantee you will each have detention when school starts, however for now we must get you to the hospital Harry, and then return you to your relative's home where you will be safe once more."

"That is out of the question," Draco had been prepared to offer an angry reply, but his mother's cold voice stopped him, and he turned back to comforting Hadrian, "Hadrian came to us as a result of his…_relative's_ abuse, and we promised him sanctuary, therefore he shall be returning home with us where I can assure you he will receive the best medical care. Now, as for punishing the boys when school is back in session, you do not have the authority to punish students for events that occur during the summer holidays and-as I have assumed my husband's seat on the school board-I will make sure that they do not receive unjust punishment."

"Well, perhaps I was a bit hasty with the punishment," Dumbledore began, his eyes twinkling as usual, "However Harry must return to his relative's home; they are his rightful guardians and-"

"He does not feel safe there, and he has asked our family for sanctuary, which we granted," Narcissa interrupted coolly, "Now, if you will excuse us Headmaster, Harry needs to see a healer, and I have also requested an auror meet us at the manor so that he can give his report of the attack. Come along boys-we shall use my emergency port-key to return home. Draco, hold onto Harry and make sure he doesn't lose his balance when we land." Draco nodded his consent and helped Hadrian to his feet, keeping an arm around the other boy's waist as his mother took out the port-key, which was a small pewter replica of the Malfoy crest. Once both boys were touching the crest Narcissa said the activation phrase "Prosapia Primoris" (meaning "Family First") and they were gone, leaving an angry Dumbledore behind.

*******Author's Note*****Woohoo! Another chapter finished, and it didn't take as long as usual. I have begun the next chapter as well, so hopefully I will be ready to update again next week. Thank you to everyone who reviewed!**


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. 'Nuff Said.

Warnings: Abuse, Slash (MxM), Evil Dumbledore…possibly more later.

Note: In my story Voldemort is going to be close in age to Lucius, Severus, the Marauder's, etc.

While Hadrian, Draco and Narcissa were at Diagon Alley Lucius floo'ed over to Riddle Manor where Severus was working on the potion to restore Tom's sanity. Severus, however, did not wish for any company, so Lucius found Tom and the two sat down to enjoy a game of chess with Nagini sleeping comfortably at Tom's feet.

"And how are you feeling today Tom?" Lucius inquired as he moved a pawn.

"I am doing well," Tom replied, capturing Lucius' pawn with a bishop, "I took some more of the temporary potion with breakfast; it only lasts four hours, however Severus believes he will have a longer-lasting version of the potion ready by then. He said that this new batch will last a full twenty-four hours, so you won't have to worry about me suddenly going insane in the middle of a conversation."

"That is good news," Lucius smiled as he studied the board, "Has he said anything about how long it will take to find a permanent cure?"

"Severus said that we first need to locate the horcruxes so that my soul can be re-united," Tom said, "After Draco's birthday we are going to begin gathering the horcruxes."

"Have you spoken yet with Bella regarding Draco's celebration?"

"Yes," Tom nodded, "I advised her that "Potter" is currently under our protection because Dumbledore betrayed him and we are working to turn him to our side; I ordered her to cause him no harm, and she has agreed."

"Excellent," Lucius said, "That is one less thing to worry about. So…you are feeling completely sane at the moment?"

"Yes," Tom replied, raising an eyebrow, "Why? Do you have bad news for me? Nothing happened to Hadrian, did it?" He narrowed his eyes at his old friend, only relaxing when Lucius shook his head.

"No," Lucius replied, "Everything is fine with Hadrian, however I needed to tell you something about Draco which will likely affect Hadrian. As you know, the Malfoy's have Veela blood in our family tree," he paused while Tom nodded, "however we have not had dominant Veela traits in many generations. Narcissa also has Veela ancestors, which is how we found each other; even though neither of us had a destined mate as some Veela do, our Veela blood led us to the one person that would best compliment us. Draco is a half-Veela and he has begun showing signs that he will come into his inheritance on his birthday, at midnight tonight."

"As a half-Veela your son will have a mate," Tom said, and Lucius nodded, "And I assume you are telling me this because you believe that Hadrian is destined to be Draco's mate."

"Yes," Lucius nodded, "The way he has been so protective of Hadrian and is in constant contact with him shows that they have a deep connection, which likely means they are mates."

"Have you told Hadrian yet?"

"No," Lucius replied, "Narcissa and I thought we would wait until you could join us; we would like to give him time to get used to the news, so I was thinking we could talk to the boys during tea this afternoon."

"That would be fine," Tom agreed, "What will happen when Draco reaches his inheritance? Will Hadrian be in any danger? If so, I can bring him here."

"He won't be in any danger," Lucius began, "However Draco will need him close by otherwise he will be in great pain. I am not sure exactly what will happen however, as each relationship between a Veela and their mate is different. Draco will require Hadrian to be near him, and he will be possessive, however that is all I am sure of."

"So my son is going to be the mate of a possessive Veela," Tom sighed, "and not only a possessive Veela, but a Malfoy as well." He shook his head, "Poor Hadrian. Speaking of which, I have come up with a solution to the matter of Hadrian's guardian; since Dumbledore believes he has claimed Sanctuary from your family, Narcissa will petition the ministry for custody of Hadrian. Actually, I wanted to torture the Muggles until they agreed to sign over custody to Narcissa before granting them a slow and painful death, however Severus said this may not be the best idea."

"Going through the ministry would be the better option," Lucius agreed, "however I agree that the Muggles deserve to be punished; we will merely have to plan out our revenge very carefully. As for Narcissa becoming Hadrian's guardian, I think that would be the ideal way to handle this; if Hadrian does turn out to be Draco's mate then she will have even more grounds to file for custody, as it is tradition for a Veela's mate to live with the Veela's family if their own family is unable to take care of them. We can tell Narcissa this evening, and she can go to the ministry after Draco's birthday."

"Excellent," Tom agreed, "Checkmate. Now, Severus left me the books that were written by Mathias Gryffindor and his wife, and I was thinking it would be more convenient for everyone involved if we were to translate it into English; are you willing to assist me?"

"Of course," Lucius agreed, before scowling at the chessboard-his men were yelling obscenities at him for losing; "I can't believe you can still beat me at chess. Do you want to translate it into English verbally while I transcribe it?"

"Yes," Tom said, "I know Severus also asked Hadrian for help, so I figured we can translate the diary with the specific information on rituals, and Hadrian can work on the potions diary, perhaps with assistance from Draco. Here;" he handed Lucius a silver notebook that was embossed with a black rose; "This notebook is charmed so that only you, I, Severus and Narcissa can read it." Lucius nodded and opened the notebook, waiting for Tom to begin; the two men spent their time until lunch translating the book and then they met Severus in the parlor so that they could return to Malfoy Manor for lunch.

"Here," Severus held out a vial of green potion as they sat down to lunch, "This is the new potion I developed which you should only have to take once a day; it lasts for twenty-four hours, however there is no harm in taking one dose now and the next when you wake in the morning."

"Thank you Severus," Tom said as he drank the potion, making a face at the after-taste, "It helps that we won't have to worry about this any longer. How much do you have prepared?"

"I have two months' worth," Severus replied, "I would recommend leaving half of the bottles here so that you will always have access to the potion; I also made a copy of the instructions which I would like to leave in your potions lab Luca."

"That is acceptable," Lucius agreed, "You can leave the extra potions in my study. So, do you feel we should focus exclusively on locating the horcruxes, or should we also start breaking the memory charms? There are some people, such as Augusta Longbottom, who I feel would be very helpful with our cause."

"We should focus mainly on the horcruxes," Tom said, "but slowly work on showing people the memories as well; I want to have as many people on our side as possible by the time I am healed so that we can focus our attention on Dumbledore. Augusta would be an ideal person to start with, however how shall we get her to view the memories?"

"Easy; we get Lupin to speak to her," Severus said, "Remus Lupin cares deeply for Hadrian and he will be willing to view the memories if the boy asks it of him; once he sees the truth he will be very loyal to us. Lupin is a werewolf and-even though his memories are false-he long ago decided Hadrian was a member of his pack and he will do anything to protect him."

"I assume you know how to contact him," Lucius stated, and Severus nodded.

"I will tell Dumbledore that Hadrian-that is, Harry-is asking to see Lupin," Severus said, "and guarantee him safe passage to the manor. It would be better if we could contact him today, before Draco's inheritance comes into effect; I rather think the werewolf and Veela may have some issues with one another."

"That's true," Lucius mused, "Draco will be highly possessive of Hadrian for some time after he comes into his inheritance, which will make it difficult for Hadrian to spend time with Lupin…is there any way to find Lupin today?"

"No," Severus shook his head, "The full moon is tonight so it would not be a good idea to bring him here; it shall simply have to wait until after the full moon."

"We shall chaperone the meeting to make sure that Draco behaves himself," Tom said, "Perhaps Severus can brew a potion to minimize his Veela instincts during the meeting. When will Narcissa and the boys return?"

"They were planning to return after lunch," Lucius replied, casting a quick tempus he added, "Which could be any time in the next hour or so. We got a good start on translating those books Sev; do you want to read what we have so far?"

"Actually, I thought we could start planning for our horcrux search," Severus said, "We need to have an idea of where to look before we go running off to find them."

"Good idea," Tom nodded, "Should we use your office Luca?"

"That would be fine," Lucius agreed, "We just need to make sure we have everything ready to be put away when the boys return; they are far too eager to join the cause, and I want to keep them out of danger as much as possible." Severus and Tom nodded their agreement and the three men headed to Lucius' office to begin their planning.

It was two hours later when Narcissa and the boys returned, and the three men were shocked when they saw Hadrian.

"Who did this?" Tom demanded in a low, dangerous voice; he got up from the chair he had been sitting in and walked around to the other side of the desk so that he could more clearly see the bruises on Hadrian's face.

"It was Ronald Weasley," Narcissa replied as she and Draco directed Hadrian to sit in a chair, "It seems that he, along with Hermione Granger and Ginerva Weasley, came upon Hadrian and Draco while they were waiting for me and Mr. Weasley decided to attack Hadrian."

"And why did Draco not assist him?" Tom demanded, glaring at the blond teen fussing over his son.

"Because the girl-Weasel used a potion to stick me to my chair," Draco scowled to hide the fact that Tom's flashing red eyes intimidated him, "I had to convince Granger to release me, and by the time she agreed Hadrian had gotten the upper-hand, so I decided to let him get a few swings in for revenge." Draco narrowed his eyes and used gentle hand to make Hadrian tilt his head so that everyone could see the bruises around his throat, "Of course, if I had noticed these bruises before the Weasel was taken away I would have enacted some revenge of my own; now it shall have to wait until we return to school, but Ronald Weasley will pay for what he did to my-to Hadrian." Hadrian rolled his eyes at this-Draco had been acting far too over-protective since the incident in Diagon Alley and he was finding it to be a little ridiculous.

"We need to take some pictures to document his injuries and then allow Severus to heal him," Lucius said as he summoned a camera; Hadrian scowled but sat still and allowed Lucius to take pictures of the injuries inflicted on him by Ron, turning his head occasionally when asked to. "Okay Sev," Lucius said after a moment, "He's all yours."

"A simple healing potion should suffice," Severus said as he pulled one out of the potions bag he always kept with him; "Drink this Hadrian, and stop scowling at me." Hadrian stuck his tongue out at the potions master and grudgingly accepted the potion-sure, he was in pain but that didn't mean he wanted to take another vile tasting potion. He glared at the potion suspiciously for a moment before tilting his head back and downing it in one go, making a disgusted face at the bitter taste that lingered on his tongue.

"Give it a few minutes before you try to speak," Severus instructed him, "I need to run some diagnostic spells to make sure there are no lasting injuries." Hadrian rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out again. "Do that one more time and I will cut out your tongue to use in my potions," Severus threatened, and Hadrian immediately pulled his tongue back in his mouth and proceeded to pout.

"Don't worry Hades," Draco nudged Hadrian until he scooted over a bit, giving Draco enough room to squeeze into the chair, although just barely, "There are potions to grow your tongue back so it would only be temporary." Hadrian gave him a look that clearly said 'Oh, that's comforting!' before rolling his eyes and relaxing with Draco's arm around his shoulders. Severus performed the diagnostic spell and nodded in satisfaction.

"You are as good as new Hadrian," he said, "the bruises are gone, and your broken nose has been healed; in addition, you should be able to speak again-Merlin help us all."

"Gee, love you too Sev," Hadrian said drily, "I can't believe Hermione and Ginny just stood there and watched Ron beat the shit out of me!"

"Hadrian! Language!" Narcissa chided.

"Sorry Narcissa," Hadrian blushed, "It's just-so frustrating! I had hoped that Ginny at least would stick up for me!"

"She is obviously torn between you and her brother," Draco said calmly, "and seeing you with me did not help matters any. Not that that excuses her; I still intend to have a few words with Ginerva the next time we meet. Are you truly feeling better now Hades?"

"Yes," Hadrian replied, "I feel fine now; in fact, I'm eager to look through the bag of tricks the twins gave me and see what I can use against Ron next year. Don't worry," he assured the adults, who were all looking at him disapprovingly, "I'll make sure I don't get caught."

"You had better not," Tom warned him, narrowing his eyes; "If you do there will be serious repercussions."

"Especially as you intend to be re-sorted when school resumes," Severus added, "I will not be pleased to have one of my students in detention because he doesn't know how to avoid detection when taking revenge."

"You are all terrible!" Narcissa chided, "Stop encouraging him to break the rules! Hadrian needs to avoid attracting Dumbledore's attention, remember? It's best if you just keep your head low Hadrian dear; I'm sure someone else will deal with Mr. Weasley for you."

"Like me," Draco said, "I will-"

"Do nothing," Narcissa frowned at her son, "You need to stay out of trouble as well Draco; the two of you should focus on your studies and leave other matters to be dealt with by those who-"

"Lighten up Cissa," Lucius interrupted with a smile, "Hadrian and Draco are young, and pranking is part of being a teenage boy; you were even telling them about the pranks that went on during our days, so to forbid them from a few revenge pranks would be hypocritical." He shared a smirk with his son.

"Fine," Narcissa snapped, upset at being undermined by her husband, "but I don't want to hear about any of the pranks, and if they get caught _you_ will have to answer to me for encouraging them." She glared at Lucius for another moment, but when he just continued to smirk unrepentantly she sighed and shook her head before turning back to Hadrian; "Now, Hadrian; would you like to take a nap before we have tea? I know today was another stressful for you, and healing potions make most people feel tired."

"No thank you Narcissa," Hadrian replied, "I feel fine right now, and I don't feel the least bit sleepy; I was actually hoping Draco and I could go flying for a while?"

"Actually, if you aren't tired there are a few things we need to discuss," Tom said, "First, I have come up with a way to make sure that Dumbledore can't force you to go back to the Dursley's; since he believes you have asked for Sanctuary from Draco Narcissa will go to the ministry next week and apply for custody of you until you turn seventeen."

"What will we do when the ministry checks the records and it shows that Hadrian never actually claimed Sanctuary?" Narcissa asked.

"Well, I actually did," Hadrian said, "Luna sent me a letter telling me that Severus told Dumbledore the story about me claiming Sanctuary-don't ask how she knew because she just always seems to know these things-and she said it would be a good idea if I actually did it, so...I did."

"That certainly makes things easier," Lucius nodded approvingly, "Although I am concerned with Luna-this would be Luna Lovegood? Xenophilius' daughter?" Hadrian nodded and Lucius continued, "Well, I am concerned about her having this information-I wonder how she came across it, and if we can trust her to keep it secret."

"I believe Luna is a seer," Draco replied, "She has this uncanny ability to know things before others do, and as for her passing information to our enemies...I trust her."

"So do I," Hadrian added, "She's always kept my secrets in the past and she was on my side last year when the Prophet was telling everyone that I was crazy."

"Very well-we shall trust her for now," Lucius said, "Just keep an eye on her once school starts Severus."

"Of course," Severus nodded, "I will also accompany Narcissa to the ministry so that Dumbledore does not interfere when she requests custody of Hadrian."

"I still like my original idea better," Tom glowered, "Torturing the Muggles until they sign over custody would be so much more fun."

"Torturing-?" Hadrian questioned and then shook his head, "Can't we just not think about them anymore? I really just want to forget I ever lived with them, especially now that I never have to go back."

"Good idea Hades," Draco nodded, "You move on and forget about them, and your dad can worry about the whole revenge thing. Isn't it great that you get to stay here from now on?"

"Well, it sure beats the cupboard," Hadrian replied with a dry smile, "and you aren't _quite_ as obnoxious as Dudley. Ow!" Hadrian pouted when Draco smacked him upside the head.

"I have seen that obese whale they claim is a boy," Draco scowled, "and you will not ever compare me to him again if you value your life."

"Well, now that that has been settled we can move on," Narcissa interjected before Hadrian could reply, "Draco, have you had the chance to tell Hadrian about our family history-to be specific, our blood-lines?"

"No Mother," Draco shook his head, "Severus really only mentioned it yesterday, and I was not entirely certain if it would apply, so I did not bring it up. Plus, we have been rather busy, what with saving Hadrian's life, discovering the truth about the past and fighting off Weasel's."

"Well, it would be best to tell him now before it is too late," Lucius pointed out, focusing his attention on the brunet sitting next to his son, "Hadrian, what do you know of Veela's?"

"Umm, I know that that originally come from Bulgaria," Hadrian frowned, "I saw them at the World Cup a few years ago; they're beautiful girls who have bird-like feature's when they get angry, and they have...I think Hermione called it an Allure, which makes males become attracted to them and act stupid. Hmmm...I always did wonder why Fleur didn't affect me the way she did Ron and the other guys..." Hadrian said this softly enough that only Draco heard him, and the blond replied by smirking and tightening his arm around the smaller boys shoulders, ignoring Hadrian's attempt to shrug him off.

"That is correct, for the most part," Narcissa smiled, "What most people do not know is that Veela can actually be either male or female-full-blooded male Veela's simply prefer not to draw attention to themselves as it better enables them to take care of their mate. Many pure-blood families have magical creature blood in their past and the Malfoy's and the Black's both have Veela in their ancestry; this means that Draco is a half-Veela."

"Oookay," Hadrian said slowly, beginning to get nervous, "No offense Narcissa, but what does this have to do with me?"

"As a half-Veela Draco will more than likely have a mate," Severus answered before Narcissa could reply, "He will come into his magical inheritance on his sixteenth birthday-which means midnight tonight."

"Oh," Hadrian said softly, a look of comprehension dawning on his face, followed by a sad look that the others didn't understand, "I understand; you're worried that since Draco and I have become so close since he saved me yesterday that it might interfere with him finding his mate. I-" Hadrian tried to stand up, but Draco merely tightened his grip, keeping the smaller boy from moving.

"No, moron," he shook his head in exasperation, "They are telling you this because all signs point to you being my mate."

"What?!" Hadrian cried and this time he managed to pull away from Draco and jump up out of the chair, "Me?! I'm your-no!" He shook his head in denial; "I can't be your...your mate; I just can't be! I mean, I only just started to accept the fact that I might-_might_-be gay: there is no way I can be your mate! Isn't...isn't there something we can do to make this...not happen?"

"Of course," Severus said silkily and Hadrian turned to look at him with hopeful eyes; "All you have to do is reject Draco once he gets his inheritance and then you won't have to worry about being his mate."

"Really?" Hadrian asked hopefully; with his attention on Severus he failed to see the pained expression on Draco's face as the blond turned his head away; "Then Draco and I can go back to just being friends?"

"Certainly," Severus replied, "Of course, it is rather difficult to be friends with a dead person, however perhaps he would be willing to come back as a ghost for you."

"D-dead?" Hadrian paled, "But...can't he just choose another mate? Why does he have to die?"

"No, Hadrian," Tom shook his head, "Veela's only have one mate, and if that mate rejects them then they will die; I know it's a lot to take in, but you said it yourself-you and Draco have become very close-would it really be so bad being his mate? Most witches and wizards dream of being a Veela's mate; it means that you will always have a companion, someone to take care of you and to take care of in return. As for you, Severus," Tom rounded on his old friend before Hadrian could reply, "There was no need for you to respond like that; Hadrian was understandably shocked by the information and you just made him feel bad and..."

Hadrian tuned out the conversation and bit his lip, thinking about what Tom had just said. He did feel close to Draco, and he was definitely attracted to him, but it was all so new…On the other hand, he had always wanted someone to love him, like his family never had, so what if this was a little earlier than he had expected? And letting Draco die just because he was scared of this mate-thing was out of the question. Hadrian nodded to himself and turned to look at Draco who was studying the wall intently, determinedly ignoring Hadrian.

"Draco," Hadrian said softly, moving to stand in front of him; Draco turned his head in the other direction and crossed his arms as he scowled; "Come on Dray-don't be mad at me," Hadrian pleaded, "I-I was just surprised when you said that; I never even thought I liked boys until yesterday, and then you tell me that I'm destined to be your mate? Can you blame me for looking for a way out?"

"Yes," Draco grumbled, continuing to look at the wall, "You're only being nice now because you'd feel guilty if I died; I don't want you to be my mate out of pity or guilt."

"It's not out of guilt," Hadrian protested, "and I definitely don't pity you! I just-I don't know what to think Dray; everything has changed so much in the past two days..." Draco didn't respond, so Hadrian decided to try another tactic, "What happened to your Slytherin cunning? I admit that I don't feel ready for a...relationship and that I wouldn't even be thinking about it if it weren't for the fact that you're a Veela-I don't want to lose my best friend after all-" Hadrian saw a small smirk on Draco's lips before the blond replaced it with a scowl, but he took this as encouragement and continued; "but shouldn't you be using it to get what you want? I seem to remember the Sorting Hat in first year saying that Slytherin's were "cunning folk" who "used any means to achieve their ends". It's not like you to give up so easily."

"And who said I'm giving up?" Draco demanded, finally turning to face Hadrian; he held out his hand and Hadrian took it, then gave a little "eep!" of surprise when Draco yanked him, causing him to fall into the blonde's lap, "Maybe I was just using your guilt to get what I want." Draco smirked as the brunet glared at him and tried to get back up, "No; after hurting my feelings I think I need a cuddle to feel better." He helped Hadrian get into a more comfortable position and then wrapped his arms snuggly around the brunet's waist, resting his chin on Hadrian's shoulder.

"All settled then?" Narcissa asked with amusement and Hadrian blushed as he realized everyone had been watching their little exchange, "Excellent; so, do you have any questions Hadrian?"

"Well...what will happen?" Hadrian asked nervously, "I mean...what am I expected to do?"

"It is different for every pair of mates," Narcissa explained, "So I cannot say for certain what will happen, however I can tell you that Draco will be possessive before and for some time after you mate."

"By mate you mean...?" Draco whispered in Hadrian's earing, making the brunet blush and saving Narcissa from having to clarify; "Oh. I see," Hadrian said, "Um...but that won't happen right away, will it?"

"It won't happen until you are ready," Severus assured him, blinking in surprise when Hadrian responded with a scowl.

"I'm not speaking to you," the boy said, "You were being a jerk." He stuck his tongue out and then turned back to Narcissa, "So when you say Draco will be possessive..."

"She means you had better not flirt with anyone else or I may just rip their head off," Draco said calmly, "And I would be protected from any legal ramifications as Veela are protected under ministry law."

"That is correct," Lucius interjected, "Veela are permitted to do anything-up to and including murder-in order to protect their mate; this also includes...punishing anyone they feel is trying to interfere in their relationship."

"Okay, so no flirting," Hadrian said, "What if someone else tries to flirt with me?"

"Then they die," Draco replied, "the same goes for anyone who tries what the Weasel did today as well; his days are already numbered."

"No," Hadrian tilted his head so he could look back at Draco, "You can't kill him for our fight today; revenge is one thing, but that is not worth murdering over."

"Fine," Draco pouted, "but you owe me Hades." Hadrian rolled his eyes and turned back to face the adults.

"Is there anything else I should know?" he asked.

"The only other thing of importance is the fact that Draco is going to need you to stay close by for some time after he gets his magical inheritance," Lucius informed him, "This could be for just a week, or he may feel the need to keep you close by until your own birthday."

"You had better not be that insane or I swear I will hex you," Hadrian threatened Draco, "There's no way I can stand to have you hovering over me day in and day out for a whole month."

"You haven't seemed to mind it too much so far," Draco replied smugly, "In fact, I seem to remember waking up this morning with you-mmph!" Hadrian quickly clapped a hand over Draco's mouth to prevent him from saying anymore.

"Well, don't get used to it," he told the blond and then addressed Narcissa again, "So, he'll be possessive and controlling, no flirting and he basically has free reign to kill anyone he perceives as a threat to me; is that all the important information?"

"I have done a little reading on this since yesterday afternoon, and there is one other thing Hadrian should be aware of," Severus spoke up, "Draco is considered a dominant Veela, and as such his instincts will be to protect you-even from yourself; what this means is that if you put yourself in danger through negligence or out of a need to protect others then he may punish you. There will also be times when he may tell you to do something or not do something and if you disobey then he may punish you for that; it is part of his Veela instincts."

"What do you mean by 'punish'?" Hadrian demanded, "Not like the way my-the Muggles punished me? Because I will not put up with that."

"Of course not like that," Draco assured him, turning to glare at Severus, "I read up on it as well-I have been reading up on Veela instincts for the past two years just in case-and I was intending to speak to Hadrian about it in private before we go to bed tonight. Punishment would be something fitting the crime; for example, if you ran off into the Forbidden Forest to play with giant spiders and wound up getting hurt I might tell you not to go to the next Hogsmeade weekend or something along those lines. I really don't have it all planned out-from what I have read it is mostly instinct, however I would never harm you."

"Oh, Hadrian nodded his understanding, "I get it, I guess; doesn't mean I like it though. I want to see some of those books later."

"Of course," Narcissa smiled, "I will have a house elf bring a few upstairs for you; in the meantime, we still have about two hours before tea, so you boys can go flying now if you like."

"Yes!" Hadrian cheered, then he frowned when he tried to get up and Draco didn't loosen his grip; "Dray-what are you doing? Come on; let's go fly!"

"Maybe I don't feel like flying," Draco retorted, "Did you ever think of that? You didn't even ask me Hades."

"Oh, stop it Draco," Narcissa chided, "You know you love to fly; stop teasing Hadrian and get out of the house before I make you help the house elves with dinner." Draco was up like a flash, grabbing Hadrian by the wrist and pulling him out of the room.

"Come on Hades," he said, "Let's go flying." Hadrian laughed at Draco's sudden about face and allowed the other boy to drag him outside to the Quidditch pitch behind the manor.

"I can't believe you have your own Quidditch pitch," Hadrian grumbled, "It's so not fair."

"Get over it Pot-I mean Riddle," Draco said, almost lapsing back into the familiar insults now that they were outside, brooms in hand, "Why don't we play a Seeker's game? Winner gets to claim a forfeit."

"What kind of forfeit?" Hadrian asked suspiciously.

"The forfeit is to be named at the conclusion of the game," Draco replied, "What's the matter Hades? Scared you'll lose?"

"You wish," Hadrian retorted, "Alright; I agree-the first person to catch the Snitch gets to claim a forfeit, and I hope you're ready to pay up Malfoy-I've never lost to you before and I don't intend to start now."

"Hmmm, that's true," Draco said, "but this time it's just you and me-no distractions or bludgers or anything. Enough talk-let's go." Draco reached in his back pocket and pulled out a Snitch and both boys watched as it flew away, up into the clouds and out of sight before mounting their brooms. It wasn't until they were in the air that Hadrian notice Draco wasn't flying his normal Nimbus 2001.

"Hey! When did you get a Firebolt?"

"At the end of school," Draco smirked, "Mother bought it for me to cheer me up after _someone_ hexed me," he glared at Hadrian, who had the grace to blush at the memory.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Hadrian said, "but you were-well, I guess I don't really have an excuse, except you were being an ass and I was still upset about losing Sirius."

"Don't worry," Draco gave him a devilish grin, "I'm sure I'll come up with some way for you to make it up to me. So, are you scared now that we are evenly matched?"

"Like I would ever be scared of you," Hadrian replied; just at that moment he saw a glint of gold out of the corner of his eye; "Besides, you may have a new broom, but I'm still better than you-especially since I don't need glasses anymore." He didn't wait for Draco's reply, but shot forward towards the snitch, grinning as he heard Draco's cry of outrage behind him. "Told you I was better Malfoy!" Hadrian looked over his shoulder to taunt the blond and then frowned when he didn't see Draco behind him. He turned back towards the snitch and pulled up suddenly to avoid slamming into Draco, who had flown above Hadrian before dropping down in front of him; in that moment of distraction the snitch had vanished and Hadrian glared at his friend.

"Keep your eye on the prize Hadrian," Draco teased, "It almost seems like you want to lose to me."

"In your dreams," Hadrian replied, "I will get to the snitch first, you'll see!"

"Well, you had better hurry then," Draco smirked and shot directly towards Hadrian, forcing the smaller boy to roll over in midair; when he righted himself again Hadrian saw that Draco was chasing after the snitch and he hurried to catch up.

"Cheat!" Hadrian cried as he gained on the blond, "No fair Malfoy!" Draco didn't reply, but leaned down close to his broom until he was laying almost flat against the broomstick, hand outstretched and reaching for the snitch; Hadrian knew there was no way he would be able to catch up, but he still put on a burst of speed and now he was even with Draco's knees...

"Yes!" Draco cheered, throwing his fist in the air, a struggling snitch held tightly in his fingers, "I win Hadrian!" He grinned triumphantly at the brunet, and Hadrian felt his heart skip a beat at the picture Draco made in the light of the setting sun; Draco's face was flushed with excitement, his eyes bright with victory and his lips stretched in a wide grin as the fading sunlight cast a golden halo around his pale locks. Hadrian couldn't let Draco see how affected he was of course, so he hid it behind a scowl.

"You distracted me," Hadrian pouted, "That was an unfair tactic!"

"You're just a sore loser," Draco teased, as both boys flew back towards the ground, "And now you owe me a forfeit...that's in addition to the life debt you already owe me."

"Smug prick," Hadrian glowered at his friend, "Fine? What do I have to do?"

"Hmmm...I need to think about it," Draco said, but the mischievous gleam in his eye told Hadrian that he already had an idea and just didn't want to say it; "Let's go get cleaned up and then meet me back in my room to discuss it."

"Whatever," Hadrian rolled his eyes, "You still have to tell me what I can do to pay back the life debt too; Tom said you have to come up with something soon."

"I will," Draco assured him as they put their brooms away and headed back inside, "but it's not every day you get a chance to claim a life debt; I just want to make sure I take full advantage of the situation."

"Of course you do," Hadrian shook his head as Draco linked arms with him, "Sneaky Slytherin prat."

"You really should stop calling me that," Draco chided him, "After all, you're soon to be a Slytherin as well."

"True," Hadrian conceded, "but soon isn't now." They continued a cheerful banter all the way up to their rooms where they separated to take their showers.

Thirty minutes later Hadrian had finished drying off and dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and a soft T-shirt that he had found in his closet; he thought he recognized the clothes from the shopping trip earlier, but he couldn't be sure. Once he was dressed Hadrian hesitated before opening the door to Draco's room, both eager and uncomfortable at the thought of seeing Draco half-dressed again.

"Hurry up Hades," Draco called through the door, "Tillie already came up to tell us it was time for Tea, so let's go." Hadrian pushed the door open and noted with relief-and slight disappointment-that Draco was already dressed.

"Okay Draco; I'm ready," he said, "Where are we having tea?"

"In the study," Draco replied, "but we don't need to leave just yet-first, I want to claim my forfeit." Draco stepped forward and took Hadrian by the hand, pulling the brunet closer: Hadrian allowed it reluctantly, watching Draco warily.

"Okay; what do you want as your forfeit?" he asked suspiciously, and Draco grinned-this did not ease Hadrian's mind.

"Nothing terrible, I promise," Draco said, "Just come here and close your eyes." Hadrian narrowed his eyes suspiciously for a moment before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes just as he felt Draco's free hand come to rest at the back of his neck, and Hadrian suddenly knew what was going to happen.

Draco felt the brunet tense in his arms and make a soft sound of distress, so he released Hadrian's hand and slid his arm around the other boy's waist to keep him from fleeing as he leaned down, closing the small distance between them and gently pressing their lips together. Hadrian remained tense in his arms for a moment until Draco slid his hand up to card through the dark locks as he nipped softly at the lips beneath his and Hadrian parted his lips with a soft gasp; Draco took advantage of the action to slip his tongue into the other boy's mouth, gently lapping at the warm cavern while Hadrian finally began to relax, melting into the embrace.

'Wow,' Hadrian thought when he felt another tongue begin to caress his, 'this is...' He let the thought fade away as he tentatively wrapped his arms around Draco's neck, hearing the blonde give a soft sound of pleasure; if he'd known kissing Draco was this...amazing was the only word he could think of to describe it-he might have tried it sooner, and those fingers trailing through his hair were just heavenly.

After a few minutes Draco pulled away and looked down at Hadrian; his cheeks were flushed and his green eyes-when he opened them-were dark and slightly unfocused.

"See? That wasn't too terrible now, was it?" Draco teased. Hadrian shook his head to clear it before answering; seeing Draco's expression he decided to wipe that self-satisfied smirk off the blonde's face.

"Maybe not for you," Hadrian shot back, a mischievous twinkle in his eye, "I was just going along with it because I had to; if you thought I actually enjoyed it...well, I must be an even better kisser than I thought." With that little remark Hadrian twisted away out of Draco's arms and headed for the door; "Come on Dray-time for tea."

"Oh, I'll get you for that remark Hades," Draco promised as he followed the brunet out the door, quickly catching up to him and linking arms, "You just wait." Hadrian simply gave him a small laugh and a cheeky grin as they headed downstairs.

The rest of the afternoon and evening passed fairly quickly, and soon Hadrian and Draco were saying good night to the adults and heading back up to their rooms. Draco sat down on the window seat and motioned for Hadrian to sit beside him.

"We should go to bed," Hadrian said as he sat down, "You know we'll have to get up early tomorrow."

"Not likely," Draco replied, "Coming into my Veela inheritance is supposed to be physically draining, so I expect mother to let us sleep in for a bit; she will likely wake us a couple of hours before the party starts so that we can get ready. And yes-you will be allowed to sleep in as well; it would not be a good idea for me to wake up the day after getting my inheritance to find you not in the room." Draco changed his position so that he was leaning against the wall with one leg on the window seat and the other one on the floor; he looked at Hadrian expectantly and the brunet shook his head and rolled his eyes before sling back so that he was leaning against Draco, his back to the blonde's chest and both of his legs pulled up on the window seat.

"Well, since you insist on staying up maybe I should start reading the books your mom had sent up," Hadrian suggested, "I need to know what to expect so you don't go on a killing rampage or something." Hadrian frowned thoughtfully for a moment and then asked; "Is that why I felt so comfortable around you suddenly? Is your Allure doing…something to make it so that we don't fight?"

"No," Draco shook his head, "from everything I've read I won't be able to use my Allure until after I get my inheritance; perhaps it was just being here, without others to cause problems between us." He wrapped one arm around Hadrian's waist and began stroking his hair with the other.

"Hmm, I suppose," Hadrian conceded, closing his eyes to enjoy the petting, "The fact that you and Sna-Severus saved my life probably helped too."

"That reminds me," Draco began, "The life debt; I think we should settle it now and I know what I want."

"Oh? What do you want?"

"I want you to let me have the final say in everything for our bonding ceremony when the time comes," Draco said, "and, I want you to sleep in my room."

"As far as the bonding ceremony goes I'm willing to let you make the decisions," Hadrian shrugged, "Do you mean that you want me to sleep in here every night?"

"Yes," Draco replied, "I know there may be times when we fight or something when you will want to get away from me, however other than that I want us to share a room."

"I…suppose I can agree to that," Hadrian agreed, "So is that it? Our life debt is settled?"

"Yes-after we seal it with a kiss," Draco smirked.

Hadrian felt his breath catch in his throat when Draco tightened his fingers in his hair and tugged gently, pulling his head back so that he could lean down and capture Hadrian's lips with his own. Draco's lips moved against his gently at first, and then more persistently as he licked at Hadrian's bottom lip, encouraging him to part his lips and allow Draco's invasion. This time the kiss was more passionate than before as their tongues battled for dominance; Draco briefly allowed Hadrian to win, and the brunet tentatively stroked Draco's mouth with his tongue before Draco took control again, thoroughly tasting the mouth below him. This position was very intimate, even more so when Draco lifted his leg off the floor and threw it across Hadrian's, effectively trapping the other boy; Hadrian raised one hand to wrap around the back of Draco's neck, pulling the blond closer and moaning into the kiss, enjoying the small gentle tugs on his hair.

When they finally broke the kiss both boys were out of breath, and Hadrian relaxed in Draco's embrace, leaning his head back on the taller boys shoulder.

"Mmm, so, no reading for me tonight," Hadrian chuckled.

"Then my distraction worked," Draco teased, "I believe you know everything of importance anyway; the rest is just small details. The only thing tomorrow is to make sure you don't get…too friendly with any of the guests; my temper may be a bit explosive."

"I'll keep that in mind," Hadrian said and then they sat in silence for a few minutes as Draco resumed carding his fingers through Hadrian's hair. After a while Hadrian stirred and pulled away; "I'm going to change into my pajamas," he told Draco and the blond reluctantly loosed his grip; "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Alright," Draco agree, watching the brunet go. Once Hadrian was gone Draco got up and changed into a pair of black silk pajama bottoms and climbed into the bed. Hadrian returned a few minutes later wearing emerald green pajama bottoms and a black tank top and crawled onto the bed beside Draco, allowing the other boy to pull him close. "Just to warn you-I may get restless around midnight, so if I wake you just move out of the way a bit and wait until it's over."

"Are you going to be hurt?" Hadrian questioned.

"It's possible," Draco replied honestly, "but that is another thing that varies for everyone; some people experience pain while others simply wake up changed. Don't worry about it though;" he kissed the top of Hadrian's head; "If it causes pain it will only last for a few minutes; go to sleep now."

"Already with the bossing around," Hadrian grumbled teasingly as he nestled his head on Draco's shoulder, "Good night Dray."

"Night Hades," Draco replied, resting his chin on top of Hadrian's head. Draco listened as the other boy's breathing evened out and Hadrian fell asleep; Draco followed soon after and the room was silent.

At midnight there was a change in the room as Draco was bathed in a soft silver glow; both boys moved restlessly for a few minutes as magic swirled throughout the room surrounding them both. When the magic died down five minutes later Draco's change was complete and both boys settled back into a peaceful slumber…

*******Author's Note*****Sorry for the long wait-I had a bad case of RLI (Real Life Interference). This chapter is a bit longer than normal though, so hopefully that makes up for it! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and I hope you enjoy!**


	12. Chapter 11

"This is ridiculous!" Molly Weasley scowled at Dumbledore; they were in the kitchen at 12 Grimmauld Place, discussing the situation with Harry. "You saw what that boy did to my poor Ronald! Harry Potter living with the Malfoy's-this is absurd! They are obviously a bad influence on him!" Sitting nearby and observing everything quietly were Remus Lupin, Arthur Weasley and Nymphadora Tonks.

"I quite agree with you my dear," Dumbledore said, "At the moment I have no way to get him away from that family, however I have Severus keeping an eye on Harry for me; the next time they leave the manor I will make sure we have people in place to rescue Harry."

"Good," Molly nodded her approval, "Once you rescue Harry he can stay with us for the remainder of the summer; we will make sure to undo all of the bad habits he has undoubtedly learned."

"Of course," Dumbledore agreed, "However, I am afraid he will need to stay at his relative's home for another few weeks first, possibly until after his birthday."

"Why would you send him back there?" Remus demanded, "He already ran away once; if we send him back he'll likely just run away again, and then he'll never trust any of us."

"I understand your concern," Dumbledore said, "however Harry needs to spend time with his relative's to renew the blood protection that is within him; if he doesn't go back it would be an insult to Lily's memory. Don't worry Remus-I will explain everything to Harry and take full responsibility for sending him back. In addition I will set up regular patrols to check on him so that we can be certain he is not being mistreated by his relative's."

"I'll be on Harry watch!" Tonks volunteered eagerly, "I can make it so that they never even realize they're being watched!"

"I will help too," Arthur volunteered, "After all, Harry is like family to us; I'm certain he and Ron will put this silly misunderstanding behind them soon."

"Excellent," Dumbledore beamed at them, "Once we have Harry back where he's safe we shall work up a schedule."

"I want to speak to Severus," Remus said, "I think-if he will help me-perhaps I can get invited into Malfoy Manor and persuade Harry to leave."

"I'm afraid it is highly unlikely that the Malfoy's would allow you on their property," Dumbledore said gently, "You know they-like most Purebloods-look down upon werewolves. However, in a few days-once the full moon has passed-we can discuss it with Severus. Now, do you have any other concerns? If not I need to be going; I have some very important research that I am working on, something which may help us defeat Voldemort when the time comes."

After everyone assured him that they're concerns had been resolved Dumbledore bid them all good-bye and apparated to his office in Hogwarts, which had become his one true home many years ago. Sitting at his desk, the headmaster reviewed a stack of notes in front of him; these were notes concerning certain events that he had caused to happen many years ago, all of them encrypted so that he must break the code before reading them. Albus frowned and picked up a worn and faded letter that he had found three years ago and began reading over the words once again.

"Albus,

This must seem strange to you, although it is undoubtedly not the strangest thing you have ever encountered, receiving a letter from yourself; I am writing this November Fifth, approximately a week after the terrible events that transpired in Godric's Hollow. Once I write this letter I will be altering our memory, and I will charm this letter so that you will not find it until Harry Potter's thirteenth year.

There are many things I-we-have done that I am not proud of, but it has always been for the Greater Good. Once you read this letter you will find a stack of notes that you will need to de-code in order to understand the actions I have taken; these actions would be too much to live with on a daily basis, and so I will be removing them once I finish writing this. I expect things will begin heating up soon after you receive this, and it will be time to finish off Tom Riddle once and for all; I caution you to move slowly, and to continue endorsing the Dursley's treatment of Harry Potter, while ensuring that he maintains trust in you.

If you feel that things are moving too fast and you need your memories back more quickly, you should view the pensieve memories from the last year of the Potter's lives, but I would recommend translating the notes if possible. Best of luck to you!

Albus Dumbledore."

The letter was strange; what could his younger self have done that was so terrible he would lock away the memories? Even now he wasn't proud of the way he allowed the Dursley's to treat Harry, but he understood that it was necessary; Harry had to be taught his place, and it was too dangerous to do it here at school where someone might notice. If Harry was allowed to grow up worshipped and adored by his relative's as he was by the Wizarding world he would never be able to do what needs to be done, never be able to sacrifice himself for the Greater Good.

Albus frowned again as he looked at the cabinet that contained his pensieve memories; it would be so simple to just view the memories, yet it would be more rewarding to decode the memories. Could he really afford to take that time though? Things were getting close, especially after receiving that letter from Harry…He was so close though; already he had decoded the fact that Tom Riddle had six horcruxes and he was close to figuring out where the next one was…

Albus smiled to himself; he would be able to get Harry back on the right side if he shared the information about the horcruxes. He had spent many years cultivating the boys Gryffindor nature, even going as far as to ensure he became friends with young Ronald; he made sure Hagrid told him how evil Slytherin's were, and the naïve boy had fell for it. Once he had Harry back in his grasp it wouldn't be too hard to turn him away from the Malfoy's, and then his plan would be back on track and he, Albus Dumbledore, would once again be heralded as the savior of the Wizarding World-the defender of the Greater Good.

"Master Draco is be needing to get up now!" Hadrian was awoken by the squeaky voice of a house elf and sleepily opened one eye to see Tillie standing by the bed anxiously, "Mistress is saying you needs to be getting ready! The guests is be arriving soon!" Hadrian yawned and moved to get out of Draco's embrace, only to have the blond's arms tighten around him.

"Come on Dray," Hadrian said, "We need to get up." Draco grumbled incoherently and rolled over, trapping Hadrian beneath him. "Draco! Don't worry Tillie;" Hadrian told the house elf, "I'll wake him up; how long do we have until the guests arrive?"

"You is having two hours!" Tillie replied, "You is hurrying!"

"Okay," Hadrian agreed, "Tell Narcissa and Lucius we'll be down on time." Tillie bowed and vanished from the room, leaving Hadrian to deal with waking Draco. "Dray; you're crushing me," Hadrian protested, squirming to get away.

"Mmmm, stop moving and go to sleep," Draco commanded sleepily, "Not time to get up yet."

"Yes it is," Hadrian countered, "It's your birthday-remember? Happy Birthday, by the way. We only have two hours until your party."

"Don't care," Draco said, "So tired…" Draco nuzzled Hadrian's neck, placing a soft kiss there and making the brunet shiver.

"Stop that Draco," Hadrian said, still trying to escape Draco's grasp, "If you don't get up right now you don't get your birthday present."

"I already have my birthday present," Draco murmured, kissing a trail up Hadrian's neck; he pressed a kiss to the corner of Hadrian's mouth and the other boy turned his head away.

"Come on; your guests will be here soon," Hadrian persisted, finally managing to roll out from under Draco; he quickly got out of the bed before the blond could stop him and headed for his room; "I'm going to take a shower-you should too, otherwise your mum is going to be mad."

"You're so mean Hades," Draco pouted as he rose gracefully from the bed, "You're supposed to be nice to me on my birthday." Hadrian looked over his shoulder, ready to make a joke, but was stunned by what he saw.

Draco had always been handsome, with his platinum blond hair and stormy grey eyes, but now he was…well, beautiful, but not in a girlie way. Draco's blond hair was now past his shoulders and it was even paler than before, almost silvery and his eyes...his eyes were a hypnotic silvery-blue; the blond was taller now too, approximately six inches taller than Hadrian where previously Draco had only been about three inches taller. In addition to the physical changes, Draco also had a powerful aura-Hadrian felt that he could almost see the blond's magic swirling around him.

Hadrian was so distracted by Draco's new appearance that he walked right into the door separating the two rooms.

"Careful Hades!" Draco cautioned, quickly moving to take hold of Hadrian's arm; "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine," Hadrian replied blushing as he pulled away, "I just-you look different; you're taller."

"Taller?" Draco arched a brow, "I can't imagine you walked into a door simply because I'm taller. What else is different?"

"You have a mirror!" Hadrian responded, "Go see for yourself! I'm taking my shower now." He quickly slipped into his bedroom and closed the door, leaving a smirking Draco behind.

When Hadrian got out of the shower he saw that his clothes had been picked out for him and he rolled his eyes-it appeared that he would never be able to pick out his own clothes here. His outfit of the day consisted of a pair of black slacks and a royal blue dress shirt with silver buttons; also laid out for him was a dress robe just a few shades darker than his shirt, and Hadrian sighed as he resigned himself to the fact that he would likely be wearing robes quite often while he was at Malfoy Manor. After getting dressed Hadrian took a comb to his hair, and he was pleased to note that it was more manageable than before.

When he felt that he was presentable, Hadrian walked over to his desk and saw that his purchases from the day before-minus the clothes, which were already in the closet-were sitting on top of it. Hadrian set his bag of goodies from the twins to the side and unwrapped the package that contained the dragon figurines he had gotten for Draco. Each figurine was in its own box, and Hadrian frowned as he realized that he didn't have anything to put them in.

"Tillie?" he called hesitantly, and a moment late the house elf appeared.

"How can Tillie be serving Master Hadrian?"

"I need something to put Draco's birthday gift in," Hadrian replied, "Also, I was having another gift delivered-do you know if it has arrived yet?"

"Yes, there is being a delivery downstairs," Tillie confirmed, "The wizard is saying animal is in enchanted sleep and will wake when Master Draco opens the present. Which present is Master Hadrian wanting to give at the family party? Mistress and Master has gifts for Young Master before guests is being here."

"There's a family party?" Hadrian asked with surprise, "Um, okay; I'll save these-" he gestured to the dragon figurines on his desk, "-for when the guests get here. Can you get me something to put them in?"

"Yes, Master Hadrian," Tillie snapped and a selection of gift bags and tissue paper appeared on the desk, "What is Master Hadrian wishing to be using?"

"Hmm," Hadrian looked through the gift bags and settled on one with a night-time forest scene, complete with fairies and centaurs running through the trees; he placed the figurine boxes in the bag and then-with Tillie's help-arranged dark green and silver tissue paper in it as well.

"Tillie is putting this with other gifts," Tillie announced, "Is Master Hadrian needing anything else?"

"No thanks," Hadrian replied, "You were a big help Tillie." Tillie's eyes widened at the praise, but to Hadrian's relief she popped away without making a scene as Dobby would have done. Speaking of which, he should really let Dobby know he was okay; he'd have to make sure to contact him tomorrow.

Satisfied that Draco's gifts had been taken care of Hadrian moved to the door connecting the two rooms and entered Draco's bedroom; surprisingly the blond was already dressed-wearing black slacks, a silver button up shirt and a robe the same color as Hadrian's- and he was just finishing fixing his hair.

"Don't use that stuff on it," Hadrian said, making a face at the gel in Draco's hand, "You look like a prat when you slick your hair back like that."

"Gee, don't spare my feelings or anything," Draco drawled, glaring at Hadrian; he dropped the gel though and instead pulled it back and tied it with a dark blue ribbon.

"Just being honest," Hadrian replied, "We need to head downstairs in a few minutes, don't we?"

"Mother will send a house elf when it's time," Draco told him as he turned away from the mirror; he tilted his head as he looked over Hadrian's appearance and then nodded approvingly; "You look very nice today Hades; your hair is almost long enough to be tied back-you are going to let it grow, aren't you? It is custom for the heir to grow his hair longer when he is our age."

"I hadn't really thought about it," Hadrian shrugged, walking over to sit down on Draco's bed, "I suppose I can let it grow; I know it's easier to manage now."

"You should let it grow," Draco said, sitting next to him and reaching up to run a hand through those dark locks; "It suits you." Hadrian blushed and tried to look away, but Draco's fingers tightened in his hair as the blond brought their lips together for a soft kiss; the blond continued to card his fingers through Hadrian's hair, making the other boy moan softly when he gently tugged on a lock of hair. Draco began trailing kisses down Hadrian's neck to his collar bone, smirking when the brunet unconsciously tilted his head back to give him more access. Draco had just settled in to give his Mate a hickey when a loud pop distracted them, making Hadrian push him away.

"Dobby!" Hadrian cried, "What are you doing here?"

"I is checking on Harry Potter," Dobby replied, "Dobby is too late! Draco Malfoy is attacking Harry Potter! Draco Malfoy is a bad wizard!"

"No, he isn't attacking me," Hadrian rushed to assure the house elf, "He was just…that is-um, Draco is my friend now."

"No, I'm not," Draco glared at both Hadrian and the house elf, "I am a Veela, and he is my Mate; you had better have a good reason for interrupting us."

"Dobby is sorry!" the house elf squeaked, "Dobby is needing punished!"

"No!" Hadrian stopped him, "I forbid you to punish yourself! I'm okay Dobby; I would have let you know, but…a lot has happened over the past two days. I'm staying with the Malfoy's now."

"Harry Potter sir is being treated good?" Dobby asked, "Is needing a house elf? Dobby can be Harry Potter's house elf!"

"It's not Harry anymore," Hadrian corrected him, "Draco? Am I able to make Dobby my house elf?"

"Well, house elves have to be sworn to the head of the family," Draco replied, "because they own the house; the head of the family can then assign house elves to someone else in the family."

"I don't think Dobby would like being sworn to your family again," Hadrian mused, "You and I know that he treated Dobby like that because of Dumbledore's spell, but-"

"You is knowing?" Dobby interrupted, "You is knowing that Dumbledore is being bad wizard? He is making good wizards be doing bad things. Master Lucius was good wizard and Dumbledore is make him be bad. If bad spell is being fixed Dobby is happy to be serving House of Malfoy and Harry Potter."

"I will talk to Father about it later," Draco said, "For now you must return to Hogwarts so that Dumbledore doesn't suspect anything; I will call you in a day or so after I receive Father's answer."

"Dobby is going now," Dobby bowed, "Dobby is waiting for call from Master Draco and Master Harry!" With a final bow the little house elf disappeared, only to be replaced by Tillie a moment later.

"Masters is needing to be in parlor," Tillie announced, "Guests is be arriving soon."

"Very well," Draco nodded, "We shall be down shortly." Hadrian moved in front of the mirror, flattening his hair out of habit, and shot a glare at Draco when he noticed a faint red mark on his neck.

"You were leaving a hickey!" he pointed an accusing finger at the blond, "You prat!"

"Of course I was leaving a hickey," Draco said nonchalantly, "I wanted to let everyone know you're taken. Come on Hades;" he crossed the room and linked arms with Hadrian, "We need to get downstairs before everyone arrives." Hadrian grumbled quietly but allowed Draco to lead him downstairs where they found Narcissa and Lucius, Severus and Tom waiting in the large parlor.

"Happy Birthday Draco," everyone chorused; Narcissa stood and crossed the room to give Draco and Hadrian each a kiss on the cheek.

"You both look very handsome," she smiled, "We'll have to get you some new clothes Draco; most of the ones you own will be too small for you now. Come sit down." She led the boys over to a love seat and Draco pulled Hadrian to sit down next to him; "The guests will be here soon, but first we have some gifts for you. This is from your father and me." She handed Draco a small envelope and a box elegantly wrapped with dark grey paper and an emerald bow on top.

The envelope held the deed to some property in France, and Draco explained to Hadrian that it was a Malfoy tradition to give the heir his own property at the age of sixteen; the other gift from Draco's parents was a new set of Quidditch gear.

"You can go examine your new property later in the summer," Lucius promised Draco, "Have you ever been to France Hadrian?"

"No sir," Hadrian replied, "I haven't been anywhere except to Hogwarts."

"Well then, we shall definitely have to go before school resumes," Narcissa said, "We should visit Italy as well, and perhaps take a trip to Germany."

"I never agreed to that," Tom said, "There is a lot we need to do this summer, so we can't go travelling all over Europe."

"No, but Narcissa and the boys can go to France at the very least," Lucius said, "We do not have to make all of our plans right this instant. Why don't you finish opening your gifts Draco?"

Draco nodded; his gift from Severus was a set of potions books and crystal phials, while Tom gave Draco a book on learning Parseltongue.

"It is difficult to learn if you are not born with the gift," Tom explained, "However I know Elena learned to speak it fairly well, so I believe you should be able to learn it as well."

"Thank you Tom," Draco smiled, "This will come in helpful if Hadrian ever tries to speak about me behind my back in Parseltongue."

"Oh, if I have something to say about you I'll say it to your face," Hadrian promised, "But you had better be nice to me if you want your pres-"

"Cissy! Where are you Sister?" Hadrian was interrupted by Bellatrix's appearance in the family parlor, "Well, if it isn't my nephew; itty bitty Drakey all grown up. Don't you have a kiss for your Aunty Bella?"

"Hello Aunt Bella," Draco replied warily, "I'm glad you could-"

"Why are you sitting next to that filthy little half-blood?" Bella interrupted with a screech, drawing her wand as she notice Harry, "Stand aside Draco; it's time to dispose of the Chosen One for our master!"

"Bella!" Tom growled, moving to stand between her and the boys; "I warned you-Harry Potter is under my protection; lower your wand. No, better yet; hand it over. Now!" Bella whimpered and gave Tom the wand before falling to her knees.

"Please My Lord; I meant no disrespect," she simpered, "I was simply trying to assist you; you have said many times that you wanted the Potter boy out of the way-"

"And I also said that I would be the one to take care of him," Tom replied, "That has changed however; Harry Potter is under the protection of Sanctuary and he no longer follows Dumbledore which is why I offered him protection from my followers. If you had attacked him, Bella, you would have made a liar out of me; no one makes a liar out of me. Crucio!" Bella screamed as the curse hit, and Hadrian found himself watching with wide eyes; he still felt that the curse was terrible, but he had to admit that he felt a strange sense of satisfaction that Tom-his father-was using it to protect him.

While he was watching the interaction between Tom and Bella Hadrian became aware of a soft growling sound and he realized with a start that it was Draco; the blond was glaring at Bella with eyes like molten silver, his lips were pulled back in a snarl to reveal pointed canines and when Hadrian glanced down he saw that Draco had sprouted claws.

"Draco-stop it;" Hadrian hissed, "She didn't do anything to me and Tom is taking care of it."

"She threatened you," Draco growled, turning that gaze on him, "I can't let someone threaten to kill my mate and get away with it."

"She isn't right Dray," Hadrian protested, "We saw the memories-remember? It's Dumbledore's fault she's like this, so it's really his fault she wanted to hurt me; Bellatrix is your aunt-you can't kill her. Besides, she didn't hurt me. Draco-I don't want you to attack her; please." Hadrian reached a hand and cupped Draco's cheek; "Let it go, for me. Just this once?" Draco placed his hand over Hadrian's and stared intently into his eyes for a moment before giving a small nod.

"Very well," he agreed, "But just this once I will let it go." Draco placed his free hand on the back of Hadrian's neck and pulled him in for a searing kiss, being careful not to nick Hadrian with his canines.

"In the future," Draco whispered when he pulled away, "Don't interfere when I am trying to protect you; also, you owe me."

"Yeah, yeah," Hadrian said dismissively as he ducked his head to hide his flushed face, "It seems like I always owe you for something."

"My Lord-you cannot condone this!" Bella protested, "This half-blood is corrupting my family!"

"Silence!" Tom ordered, "You just had to put on that little public display didn't you Draco?" He sighed and pointed his wand at Bella again; "Obliviate!" He altered Bella's memories so that she wouldn't remember the kiss between her nephew and Hadrian.

"I am sorry My Lord," Bella said, "Please forgive me for my eagerness."

"Do not go against my orders again or next time I will not be so forgiving," Tom warned, "Now, if you have a gift for your nephew you had better give it to him."

"Of course," Bella agreed quickly, getting unsteadily to her feet; she turned towards the loveseat and scowled at Hadrian before promptly ignoring him; "Aunty Bella has a gift for you Draco." She handed over a gift wrapped in black paper with glowing green dark marks on it; "I made the wrapping paper myself."

"We can all tell," Lucius said drily; "We don't have much time left before the guests arrive; go ahead and open it Son." Draco opened the gift carefully, and pulled out a volume of books on the Dark Arts.

"Thank you Aunt Bella," he said politely, "I'll be sure to look at these later."

"I marked the spells I thought you might be interested in," Bella said, "You may want to start reading it tomorrow, because I will be testing you."

"I want to speak with you after the party Bella," Tom said as he got to his feet, "We have much to discuss. Now go to the ballroom and wait for us." Bella bowed and left the room, and Draco started to stand up but Hadrian tugged on his arm, keeping him seated.

"Wait; I have something for you too," he said, "Narcissa, do you know what happened to the package that was delivered earlier this morning?"

"I had Wispy put it with the other gifts," Narcissa replied, "I can have her bring it for you; Wispy!"

"How can Wispy be serving Mistress?" the house elf bowed.

"Fetch the package that was delivered this morning," Narcissa commanded, "And be careful with it."

"Yes Mistress!" Wispy vanished with a pop and reappeared moments later with a small crate covered by a black velvet blanket; "Can Wispy be doing anything else?"

"No; that will be all," Lucius said and Wispy left again.

"What's this?" Draco asked curiously, getting to his feet; He walked over to the crate and slowly pulled the blanket off; when the blanket was clear everyone gasped. Lying there sleeping on a cushion of white velvet was the pale blue dragon that Hadrian had purchased the day before.

"A miniature Sentinel," Narcissa gasped, "Wherever did you-Hadrian, these are very rare; where did you find it?"

"In the pet shop in Diagon Alley," Hadrian replied, watching Draco anxiously, "Do you like it Dray?"

"Are you insane?" Draco scoffed, "Of course I like it; he's…amazing." Draco lifted the lid off the crate and the dragon immediately opened its eyes; it opened its mouth in a wide yawn and then stood on its back legs so it could look around. The dragon's eyes immediately rested on Draco, and the blond held out his hand, allowing the dragon to get his sent; the dragon must have approved, because he chirped happily, and allowed Draco to lift him out of the crate. Draco cradled the small dragon in his arms as he re-joined Hadrian on the couch; the dragon stretched out its neck to sniff the dark-haired boy and gave that approving chirp again before settling in Draco's arms.

"I don't think he has a name," Hadrian said, "So what will you call him?"

"I think Arden is a good name," Draco replied, looking down at the dragon he asked, "What do you think?" The dragon looked up at him with wide blue eyes and nuzzled his hand.

"Arden it is then," Lucius said approvingly, "We should head into the ballroom before the guests start arriving." Everyone stood up, and Arden climbed up to curl around Draco's shoulders; Draco reached out and wrapped one arm around Hadrian's waist. Arden lifted his head to sniff at Hadrian's hair before settling back down around Draco's shoulders. The small group left the family parlor with Hadrian and Draco trailing behind as they headed for the ballroom.

Twenty minutes later Hadrian was standing by the refreshment table with Severus and Tom, watching as Draco and his parents greeted the party guests; Bella had vanished soon after the first guests arrived and Hadrian suspected she was up to something nasty, but when he mentioned it to Severus and Tom they both assured him that the house elves would be watching her.

"Have you had a chance to look through the books we picked up from Gringotts yesterday?" Hadrian asked Tom.

"Yes," Tom answered in a low voice, "Salazar wrote much of it in Parseltongue, however I have managed to translate one of the books; it details potions that can be used to counter the damage-both mental and physical-caused by using or being subjected to dark curses. Severus has been reading my translations and he found the description of a potion that should heal Bellatrix and the Longbottom's, but the actual instructions and ingredients for the potions are written using a combination of Parseltongue, Runes and Arithmancy."

"At the front of the book-the first page is the only one not written in Parseltongue-Slytherin states that he wrote his books in such a fashion because he did not want them to be read by anyone unworthy," Severus said drily, "So while Tom as translated the Parseltongue we are still working on the Runes and Arithmancy."

"Hermione takes both of those classes," Hadrian said, "Maybe after Draco and I talk to her she can help."

"Draco can help as well, now that you mention it," Severus mused, "He can at least help with Arithmancy. That reminds me-during this summer we will be seeing to your education to get you up to the level you should be at, and you will learn-at the very least-the basics of Arithmancy and Runes; if you were planning to take Care of Magical Creatures or Divination again you can forget it."

"You can't tell me what classes to take!" Hadrian protested, "That's up to me!"

"Actually, as your father I do get to have a say in your education," Tom interrupted, "But we can discuss this later. For now Severus and I should go mingle among the other adults-your peers seem hesitant to approach you while we stand here."

"If you really have to," Hadrian frowned, "If someone messes with me can I hex them?"

"I would be disappointed in you if you didn't," Tom replied, "I'll be nearby if you need me Hadrian." Hadrian nodded his understanding and watched as his father and Severus melted into the crowd; once they were out of sight Hadrian turned back to the refreshment table and got a cup of punch. It wasn't long before some of Draco's friends decided to approach him.

"So Potter, Draco's tells us that you came crawling to him, begging for Sanctuary," Pansy Parkinson sneered as she, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott stepped forward to confront him; "What's the matter? Did your relative's refuse to let you watch the-what's that thing Theo? With the moving pictures Muggles like?"

"The Telly," Hadrian replied, "Honestly Parkinson-if you're trying to insult someone you should at least make sure you have your facts straight. As for why I'm here, well it's really none of your business, but the Muggles do have something to do with it, and so does Dumbledore."

"I knew it," Theo said with an air of satisfaction, "You came here to spy for Albus Dumbledore; I just want to know how you convinced the Malfoy's to let you stay."

"I'm sure they know why he's really here," Blaise said, "They probably just think that they can corrupt him; so, is it working Chosen One? Has Draco corrupted you yet?"

"I'm not here as a spy," Hadrian rolled his eyes, "As for being corrupted…it hasn't happened yet, but not for lack of trying on his part. Besides, do you really think Vol-the Dark Lord would let me stay here-alive-if I was spying for Dumbledore? If you want to know the truth, I found out some things about Dumbledore that has made me rethink whose side I should be on; the Dark Lord may be evil, but at least he doesn't hide it behind twinkling blue eyes and a smile."

"So you really have switched sides," Pansy said musingly, "Draco said as much, but I thought he was joking." She tilted her head thoughtfully before smiling and sliding closer to Hadrian. "Well Harry-can I call you Harry?" She didn't wait for a response but continued; "If you have gotten Draco's approval then that means you're practically one of us; I'm sure you don't want to spend all your time cooped up in the manor with him, he can be a very high maintenance friend. If you ever…desire company of a different sort, I would be more than happy to entertain you." She made as if to lay her hand on Hadrian's arm, so he stepped back, shaking his head.

"Sorry Parkinson, but I don't think Draco would like that too much," he said, "I'd be happy to get to know his friends though, since we'll probably be seeing more of each other."

"Ooh! That was a total rejection Pansy!" Blaise said gleefully, "Looks like even a half-blood like Potter has more sense than to mess with you!"

"How dare you Zabini?!" Pansy glared at the Italian; "I was not trying to hit on Potter; I was just being friendly, as a favor to Draco! You know that Draco is the only one for me; if I really wanted Potter I could get him though."

"Hmm, I don't know about that," Hadrian turned to look at Theo; "I have a suspicion that nothing you can do would ever get Potter for you; am I right?"

"That's…I…I'm not interested," Hadrian mumbled, looking away, "I think I should go; I'll talk to you guys later."

"Not so fast," Pansy said, reaching out and grabbing his arm; she tilted her head up to look at Hadrian and batted her eyelashes, "The band should be starting soon, and it's only polite for you to ask me to dance. You don't want to be rude, do you Harry?"

"Um, actually, my being rude might be the only thing saving your life right now," Hadrian said nervously as he saw Draco glare in their direction; the blond turned his back on the wizard who had been wishing him a happy birthday and began stalking towards Hadrian. "Really Pansy; you should let me go now." Hadrian tried to pry the Slytherin girl's fingers off his arm, but she just tightened her grip.

"Now don't be like that," Pansy purred, sliding her arms up to encircle Hadrian's neck, "Draco and I aren't together right now, so he can't get mad at us. It's just one dance Harry."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Hadrian replied, "Pansy, you need to get off of me _now._" He put his hands on the Slytherin girls' shoulders and tried to push her away, but she simply changed her grip so that her arms were around his waist instead.

"You know Pans, I think you should listen to Potter," Blaise had noticed Draco heading towards him, and the blond looked pissed; "Come on Pansy; I'll dance with you." He took hold of Pansy's arm, but the brunette girl shook him off with a glare.

"Stop it Blaise!" she snapped, "If I didn't know better I would think that you're interested in Potter." Hadrian took advantage of the brief distraction to slip away from Pansy and head off Draco. When he was a few feet away from the blond Hadrian noticed that Draco's Veela features had made another appearance and knew that he needed to get Draco out of there before he attacked the idiotic Pansy.

"Tillie!" Hadrian called, taking hold of Draco's arm as the house elf appeared; "Bedroom; now!" Tillie apparently understood, for she quickly apparated the boys to Draco's room. "Ward it so that no one can enter or leave until I call for you, and tell Narcissa and Lucius that I will let them know what's going on as soon as I can." Hadrian fought to stay calm even as he heard Draco's growl and felt clawed hands wrap around his upper arms; "Go! Now!" Tillie gave a frightened squeak, and Hadrian felt strong magic wash over the room as she disappeared. He didn't have time to think on it however, for Draco used his grip to spin the brunet around and push him forcefully up against the wall. Draco leaned in close and sniffed Hadrian for a moment before growling lowly and meeting wide green eyes with cold grey.

"You let her touch you," Draco said accusingly, "You smell like her."

"I didn't-" Draco slammed his hand against the wall next to Hadrian's head, making the smaller boy fall silent; "You are mine!" Hadrian swallowed nervously as Draco grabbed a fistful of his locks and pulled his head back, forcing him to meet those angry steel eyes as he realized that he was definitely in trouble now…

**AN: Once again I apologize for the length between updates; unfortunately it looks like I will continue to have a few weeks or a month between updates due to my schedule, but I promise that I **_**will**_** update. I know this was a bit of a cliffhanger, so I will do my best to update as soon as possible so I don't leave you hanging…although, I suppose that's the purpose of a cliffhanger, right? Lol. Thank you for your reviews and continued patience, until next time!**


	13. Chapter 12

"You are mine!" Hadrian shivered at the anger emanating from the Veela in front of him; he'd known he was in trouble when Pansy latched onto his arm, but he'd had no idea Draco would be quite so angry _at him_ for something the Slytherin girl did. It wasn't as if he _wanted _Pansy to touch him! Draco's eyes were like steel at the moment, and they glowed with a sort of inner light that made him beautiful despite the anger; Hadrian reminded himself that the other boy wouldn't hurt him-well the grip on his hair _was_ a little painful, but he decided to ignore it for now-and tried to explain.

"I'm sorry," Hadrian figured an apology was the best way to start off, "I know I wasn't supposed to let anyone touch me, and I didn't mean to; she just grabbed my arm and started telling me to dance with her, but I think she was trying to get your attention. I don't like Pansy, and-"

"Did you tell her you were mine?" Draco demanded with narrowed eyes.

"I didn't know if you wanted me to," Hadrian replied, "I thought that if you wanted your friends to know about me-about…us-that you would have told them. Dray, I-"

"Go take a shower," Draco interrupted, abruptly letting go of Hadrian's hair and stepping away from the brunet, "I can't talk to you when you smell like her." He turned so that he was facing the window, purposefully not looking at Hadrian.

"Does this mean I get to pick out my own clothes after I shower?" Hadrian asked, trying to dispel the tension in the Veela's stance.

"Of course not," Draco scoffed, and Hadrian was happy to hear the tiniest note of amusement in the blonde's voice, "I will take care of choosing your outfit."

"Don't know why I even bother," Hadrian muttered as he walked past Draco towards the blonde's larger bathroom, "They treat me like I'm a bloody five year old who doesn't know how to dress himself."

"There's an idea," Draco said as Hadrian was closing the bathroom door, "Perhaps I _should _dress you from now on."

"Don't even think about it," Hadrian glared at the Veela's smirk, "If you try to physically dress me I'll…I'll…I'll hex you!" With a final glare he slammed the door to the sound of Draco's amused laughter.

Fifteen minutes later Hadrian had finished his shower and used his wand to dry off; there was a dark blue bathrobe hanging on the back of the door, and Hadrian pulled it on before exiting the bathroom, using the door that opened into his own bedroom rather than Draco's room. Hadrian was surprised to find that his bedroom was empty and there weren't any clothes laid out for him.

"What a surprise," Hadrian said drily as he moved towards his closet, "Looks like I get to pick out my own clothes after all."

"Not so fast," Hadrian spun around to see Draco leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe, watching him with silver eyes; he's Veela features had begun to recede so that only the long canines and the molten silver eyes remained, but Hadrian could still sense Draco's power swirling around the room.

"I have something in my room for you to wear," Draco looked at Hadrian expectantly until Hadrian rolled his eyes and walked towards the doorway connecting the two rooms; as he passed through it, Draco stepped up behind Hadrian and wrapped his arms around the younger boy's waist, gently nuzzling his neck.

"Draco," Hadrian sighed, "You're guests will be wondering where you are."

"Let them wonder," Draco murmured, his lips brushing against Hadrian's neck, "This is much better-I don't smell that whore on you anymore." He breathed in Hadrian's scent and purred softly, sending small shivers up the brunet's spine, "Now you smell like me." He pressed his lips to the side of Hadrian's neck, lightly scraping it with his elongated canines and making the younger boy shudder.

"Well, I am wearing your robe," Hadrian said reasonably, hoping that Draco didn't notice the faint tremble in his voice, "Where…" Hadrian shook his head-having Draco nuzzling his neck and inhaling his scent was very distracting-"Where are the clothes you want me to wear."

"Hmmm? On the bed," Draco replied; he stepped back slightly, allowing Hadrian to pull away and walk towards the bed. The brunet was just leaning down to pick up the new outfit when he felt hands on his hips; he spun around and gasped in shock as Draco pushed him down onto the bed, quickly climbing on top of him and trapping Hadrian's hands on the bed beside his head.

"Draco!" Hadrian squirmed, trying to get away, "What are you doing? Let me up!"

"No," Draco spoke calmly, but then he let out a low growl as he leaned in until his face was just centimeters from Hadrian's; "You let her touch you, after I specifically warned you against letting anyone get too close. I think I need to show everyone just who you belong to."

"I'm not a possession!" Hadrian argued hotly, trying to free his wrists from Draco's grip, "Just because I'm your Mate or whatever that doesn't mean I belong to-mmph!" Hadrian's protest was cut off when Draco leaned forward and pressed their lips together harshly, his tongue invading Hadrian's mouth forcefully; Hadrian fought against it at first, still irritated at Draco's possessive statements, but then the blond softened the kiss, nipping lightly at Hadrian's bottom lip and Hadrian felt himself melting. Hadrian stopped fighting to get away and tilted his head a little, giving himself up to the sensation of Draco's soft lips moving against his own.

"Yes," Draco purred softly, pulling back to look at the flushed face below him, "Mine." He leaned in and pressed their lips together once more, but gently this time, coaxing Hadrian to reciprocate. When the brunet turned his head away to get his breath back Draco began trailing kisses down his neck; since Hadrian was no longer struggling Draco released his hold on the other boys wrists and instead smoothed his hands down across Hadrian's shoulders…his chest…down to his waist where he untied the belt on the bathrobe Hadrian was wearing.

The feeling of cool air against his skin drew a sharp hiss from Hadrian, and then Draco was trailing his lips down across his collarbone; Draco used one hand to prop himself up a little, while he trailed the other one further down his Mates' body, his fingers gently brushing against Hadrian's cock, which had begun stirring interestedly.

"Draco-no," Hadrian protested breathlessly; he reached down to pull Draco's hand away, "Don't-I'm not…I'm not ready for…to…you said no sex until I was ready."

"Hmmm," Draco agreed, allowing the brunet to pull his hand away as he pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of Hadrian's mouth, "No sex, but that doesn't mean we can't do other things. Just relax Hades."

Draco took Hadrian's wrists in his hands once again, pressing them firmly to the bed as he captured Hadrian's lips for another searing kiss, teasing and tasting and thoroughly possessing the mouth beneath his. Soon Hadrian was breathless once again, putty in Draco's hands…which had released Hadrian's wrists, but the brunet found he still couldn't move them; the wonders of magic. The brunet might have protested, but his mouth was otherwise occupied, and soon his thoughts short-circuited completely as Draco teasingly brushed his fingertips against one dark nipple, causing the other boy to gasp, trembling at the Veela's touch. Draco rolled his nipple between thumb and forefinger, gently teasing it before trailing his hand back down to brush against Hadrian's cock once again.

The feeling of Draco touching his cock brought Hadrian back to himself for a moment, but when he started to struggle Draco grasped his cock firmly and the brunet threw his head back, gasping for breath. He could feel Draco's smirk against his skin as the Slytherin boy grazed his lips over Hadrian's neck, leaving tiny biting kisses until he reached Hadrian's collar bone, where he began to lick and suck, very deliberately leaving a mark, although he was careful not to draw blood. While his lips were leaving their mark on Hadrian's previously unblemished skin, Draco's hand was likewise busy, stroking Hadrian's erection; he brought Hadrian to the brink before lightening his touch, keeping him on the edge without letting him fall.

"Dray," Hadrian panted breathlessly, "Don't tease me…" Draco chuckled softly and moved away from Hadrian's collarbone-leaving a dark love bite blossoming-so that he could kiss a path down his chest until he was able to take one pert nipple in his mouth. "Draco!" Hadrian's cry was part pain, part pleasure as the blonde bit down; the blond continued to alternately suck and bite at his nipple until it was hard and aching, and then he switched to the other one to give it the same attention. Draco's actions drew soft moans and sharp cries from the boy beneath him, and he allowed his hand to still on Hadrian's cock, smirking again when Hadrian whimpered in displeasure.

"Please Dray…don't stop," Hadrian pleaded, lifting his hips in search of more of that delicious pleasure, "I need…"

"What do you need?" Draco asked in a sultry voice as he left off tormenting Hadrian's nipples; he didn't wait for a response, but left a trail of biting kisses down the brunet's smooth, washboard abs, stopping just short of the dark patch of curls and the body part Hadrian most wanted to feel that hot mouth on. "Well?" Draco teased, moving back up until his face was inches from Hadrian's; "What do you want Hades? Tell me." Hadrian bit his lip and shook his head, unable to form the words.

"I can't possibly know what you need if you won't tell me," Draco continued, lightly stroking Hadrian's cock just enough to tease, "Do you want to cum? Do you want me to wrap my lips around your hard cock and suck you off until you cum down my throat?" The dirty words made Hadrian moan, and arch his back, craving more of those delicious touches. "Then tell me."

"I-I need to cum," Hadrian turned his head to the side to hide his blush as he gave in to the Veela's demands; "Please…I need you."

"Of course Luv," Draco agreed, gently turning Hadrian's face back towards him and pressing a gentle kiss on his lips, "I'm going to lick your cock, get it nice and wet before taking you deep into my mouth; I'll drive you crazy to the point where you want to thrust up, but my hands on your hips will keep you in place, helpless as I bring you to the brink and I'll keep you there until you become desperate, begging me for release. Oh, yes; you'll beg me, and only then will I let you cum, spilling your seed down my throat…Is that what you want?"

"Oh, Merlin yes!" Hadrian gasped, Draco's hand had still been teasing his cock, and the blond had paused several times during his little speech to lap at his nipple, nibble on his earlobe, and press small kisses all over his face and neck, "Please Draco; I need to feel…"he trailed off, unable to complete his sentence.

"All I want is for you to tell me you're mine," Draco whispered in his ear, running his tongue around the shell, "Just tell me you're mine Hadrian; my Mate…tell me you don't want anyone else, only me…"

"Only you," Hadrian agreed, feeling a sense of victory as Draco began trailing kisses back down his body to where his aching member was straining for release, "Just need you Draco, only you…" Draco rewarded him by licking around his cock, before sucking gently on the tip, making him want more-and then he stopped. Hadrian opened his eyes-and when had he closed them?-and lifted his head to see Draco looking at him expectantly…but what did he want? He'd already given into the devious snakes demands…

"And?" Draco prompted, licking a stripe down the underside of his cock, "You still haven't said it…still haven't told me you're mine."

"I'm…not a possession," Hadrian managed to say, closing his eyes in an effort to regain control of himself; this shouldn't feel so good! He'd never truly fooled around before, but he had wanked, and it never made him feel like this, so helpless…Hadrian was pulled out of his thoughts when Draco pinched one of his nipples, making him gasp; Hadrian squirmed beneath the blond as he teasingly licked his cock while one hand tormented his nipples…he was slowly falling back into a haze where everything centered around physical sensations, and he wanted so badly…

"Tell me you're mine," Draco insisted again; he turned his head to the side and pressed a kiss to Hadrian's inner thigh, before biting down and making the brunet cry out and arch off the bed, "Say it and I'll make you feel so good Hades…you're my Mate…no one can make you feel as good as I can, you know that, right?" Hadrian nodded shakily; "Then say it."

"N-no one else can make me feel like this Dray," Hadrian said, "No one else can make me feel good…oh Merlin!" Hadrian gasped when he felt something smooth pressed against his entrance-just the slight pressure was almost enough to send him over the edge; almost, but not quite, so he capitulated and gave Draco what he wanted. "I'm yours Draco; please let me…Please!" Draco's response was to lean forward and take Hadrian's erection in his mouth, just sucking the tip lightly at first, and then slowly swallowing more of it. As he lowered his head, Draco also slowly pressed the smooth object-Hadrian had at first thought it was a finger, but now he wasn't so sure-inside of Hadrian's tight hole, the slight burning sensation making a nice counterpoint to the pleasure and stopping him from coming too soon. Draco held Hadrian's hips still with one hand while he bobbed his head up and down, alternately licking and sucking the hardened flesh in his mouth. When he pulled his head away, Hadrian whined in the back of his throat, looking up at Draco with confusion in his emerald eyes.

"Say it again," Draco commanded, "Tell me you need me…that you're mine; I want you to cum screaming my name." He lowered his head again, barely touching the tip of Hadrian's erection with his tongue, and the brunet complied.

"Please…need you..." Hadrian panted, pulling at the magic still keeping his wrists bound to the bed; "Yours…I'm yours Draco…no one else. Oh! Draco! Don't stop! Need you…only you! Yours Draco…I'm yours!" Hadrian babbled the same things over again as he felt himself slipping closer to the edge; there was a sharp tingle in his backside which he realized was a spell of some sort-and then he was gone, crying Draco's name as he spent himself down the Veela's throat.

When he came back to awareness, Hadrian found that Draco was lying on the bed beside him-and he still couldn't move his arms.

"Dray…can you let me go now?" Hadrian asked, "And what was that, just before I…well, you know."

"Before you lost control and spilled your seed down my throat?" Draco offered, smirking at Hadrian's blush, "Well, it was just a little spell; nothing to worry about. Before I let you go…have you learned your lesson? Tell me you won't let something like the whole Pansy incident happen again."

"I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure that something like that doesn't happen again," Hadrian said honestly, "I didn't even want it to happen this time, but I didn't want to hurt your friend."

"Next time, hurt her," Draco responded, grey eyes solemn, "Because I guarantee you will hurt her much less than I would. The only reason I didn't tear Pansy apart is because you had Tillie bring us here."

"I understand," Hadrian said, "and I'll be more careful."

"Good," Draco sat up, and seconds later Hadrian felt the magical restraints around his wrists vanish, "Now you need to get dressed so we can return to the party."

"I need to take another shower," Hadrian said as he sat up, "Hey-what did you do with Arden?"

"I left him with Mother," Draco replied as he cast a cleansing charm on them both, "I don't think he's very old; he was starting to act sleepy, and Mother said she would sit with him. Now you don't need a shower so you can get dressed. I'll send a message down to Mother and Father to let them know everything is alright." Hadrian nodded and got out of the bed; he bent over to pick up the dark boxers on the mattress and then cried out in surprise when he felt a sharp smack on his ass.

"Ow! What the hell was that for!" He glared at the blond, rubbing his stinging ass cheek with one hand.

"That was a warning," Draco replied, "If something like that happens again you'll get more than just one smack on the ass as punishment. Call that stupid house elf and have her remove the wards."

"Fine," Hadrian scowled, "but only because I don't want to be stuck in here with an insane Veela any longer than necessary; prat." He pulled on the boxers while Draco wrote a note to explain things to his parents, and then Hadrian called for Tillie, having her remove the wards. Once she was gone Hadrian finished getting dressed in an outfit almost identical to the one he had on before-it consisted of a pair of black slacks, a royal blue button-up shirt only a few shades lighter than his previous one and a robe almost identical to the one he had worn earlier, only it was trimmed with silver thread around the collar, sleeves and hem. "It's too big," he announced with a frown.

"That's because those are my clothes," Draco replied; he took out his wand and altered the clothes so that they fit Hadrian, "Now everyone will know you're mine; and don't button that all the way up." Draco strode forward and undid the top two buttons on Hadrian's shirt, making sure that the mark he had made earlier would be completely visible.

"Really?" Hadrian sighed, "Is this whole marking me thing a Veela trait?"

"No; it's a Malfoy trait," Draco replied promptly, "Let me fix your hair before we go downstairs." Hadrian rolled his eyes but obediently sat in the chair Draco indicated and allowed the blond to brush his hair and make it somewhat neat; "Good, now let's go-I'm sure our parents are waiting to see for certain that we are both still alive; that note I sent with Tillie should keep them from panicking, but it would probably be a good idea for us to get down there as soon as possible." Hadrian allowed Draco to link their arms as usual and lead him back towards the party dreading all the stares that he knew they would soon be facing.

**AN: Just a short little chapter, showing a brief interaction between Hadrian and VeelaDray; no serious consequences this time-boy did Pansy get lucky! Of course, Draco will be a little more annoyed for the rest of the evening…speaking of which, the next chapter should be out within a week; I actually split the chapter up because I haven't found a better ending point, and I wanted to get something up for you to read, even if it is just a bit of smut Lol. **


	14. Chapter 13

"Hadrian, Draco-is everything alright?" Severus met the boys at the top of the staircase and set up a silencing charm to ensure that they were safe from eavesdroppers.

"Everything is fine now," Draco said, "Although I would recommend keeping Pansy away from us for the remainder of the evening." He scowled at the thought of the Slytherin girl, and for a moment his eyes-which had returned to normal before they came downstairs-flashed silver.

"Narcissa has already taken care of it," Severus assured him as he looked over Hadrian, checking for any signs of injury; "Are you alright Hadrian?" From the research he had done he knew that jealousy often caused Veela to be harsh with their mates, and no one wanted to see Tom try and fight the Veela for hurting his son.

"I'm fine Severus," Hadrian replied, "Just dreading all the stares I know we'll face."

"They had better not stare at you if they know what's good for them," Draco growled, wrapping a possessive arm around his mates' waist; "I can't promise that I will be able to control my instincts the next time I perceive someone as a threat. What is Mother telling the guests?"

"She is planning to tell them the truth," Severus replied, "Or part of it, at least; Hadrian claimed Sanctuary after being abused by the Muggles, and you granted it, then you discovered last night that he was your Mate and therefore no one is to approach him without your permission. Also, as it is inevitable that someone will slip up and actually call him Hadrian in front of the guests, she will tell them that "Harry Potter" agreed to adopt the name "Hadrian" so that he could better fit in with his new family and distance himself from the Muggles he grew up with."

"That should work nicely," Draco nodded, "I am ready to go back in-Hades?"

"I'm ready," Hadrian agreed, stepping out of Draco's hold and instead linking arms with his Veela; Severus gave them a brief smile before cancelling the privacy charm and leading them downstairs and back into the ballroom.

As they entered the room, Narcissa made her announcement-adding that paying too much attention to Harry-now-called-Hadrian would earn them animosity from her Veela son and that he would likely attack first and ask questions later. With the explanation-and warnings-given the boys once again mingled among the guests, but this time Draco kept his arm firmly around his Mate. Arden was also by the boy's side; the little dragon had turned down Draco's offer to pick him up and instead walked in front of the boy's as they traversed the ballroom, sitting down directly in front of them whenever they stopped.

At one point Theo and Blaise had come up and apologized for Pansy's behavior, and Draco had brusquely informed them that the only person responsible for Pansy's actions was Pansy herself. Once that was over with the four settled down to talk for a bit; now that Draco had mingled for a while he was free to actually enjoy himself and he transfigured a couple of chairs into a loveseat for him and Hadrian to share.

"So, Draco, what made you decide to grant Potter Sanctuary before you knew he was your mate?" Theo questioned, taking one of the empty chairs while Blaise took the other; "Weren't you worried that you would make the Dark Lord angry?"

"Everyone knows that Veela instincts can kick in early if the Veela's mate is seriously injured," Draco began, "and when Potter came to me seeking sanctuary he was in a lot of pain, although the stupid Gryffindor tried to hide it."

"Hey!" Hadrian protested, "I didn't know if I could trust you-I'm surprised I even thought to ask for Sanctuary, since I only heard Sirius mention it once!"

"Yes, well regardless, Hadrian here was on the verge of passing out," Draco continued, unperturbed by the interruption, "I didn't notice that at first though; I ordered us some lunch, and I was trying to convince him to eat when he suddenly screamed and toppled over, unconscious. I noticed blood seeping through his shirt and-well, the injuries were very bad; I applied a healing salve but they came back worse than before, so I called Severus for help. I started feeling very protective over him, which I now realize was caused by my Veela instincts. The Dark Lord found out what happened and decided to honor the customs of Sanctuary and see if we can't get Hadrian to switch sides."

"Which I am seriously considering, after what I've gone through the past few days," Hadrian said, leaning into Draco and smiling when Arden climbed up on the loveseat to lay across their laps, "I mean, my supposed enemies have treated me ten times better than the adults who were supposed to protect me ever have." Arden let out a soft growl and Hadrian smiled down at him, scratching behind his ears.

"I can't believe the Gryffindor Golden Boy is actually consorting with Slytherins and Dark Wizards-"

"And the Dark Lord; oh my!" Hadrian interrupted Blaise; the three pure bloods looked at him in confusion, but Snape-who happened to be passing by-couldn't help but let out a small snicker. "Um, it's kind of from a Muggle movie," Hadrian explained, "There's this girl named Dorothy who winds up in the magical land of Oz and she has to defeat an evil witch in order to go back home. Well, at one point they-that's Dorothy and her companions, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow-are walking through this forest and they start worrying about all the wild animals that could be there and they start saying; 'Lions and Tigers and Bears; Oh my!' and then they actually meet a lion, but he's the Cowardly Lion and he's scared of them more than they are scared of him and…" he trailed off at the blank looks Draco and his friends were giving him; "Never mind."

"Drakey! What's going on?" They all looked up at the screech, and Hadrian shivered at Draco's low growl as the Veela pulled him closer until he was actually sitting in Draco's lap; the dragon didn't seem upset at his displacement, but rather stood in front of them, also growling at the Slytherin girl; "Potter took off with you earlier, and then your mother told me not to speak with you; I don't understand Drakey!"

"Understand this," Draco glared at her, and the girl took a small step back at the low growl she could hear in his voice, "Hadrian is mine; you will stay away from my mate if you value your life."

"Who? Oh, you mean Potter?" Pansy sneered, "What would I want with him? I was only being nice earlier because your family offered him sanctuary, but he obviously has no manners as he turned down my gracious offer of a dance. Really; what would I want with a pathetic little Half-blood? The Dark Lord will dispose of him eventually anyway." Throughout her speech Draco's growl had been getting louder, and Hadrian could once again feel talons pressing against his skin, although they didn't actually pierce it.

"What part of 'he is my mate' don't you understand?" Draco demanded, tightening his grip on Hadrian as he fought the urge to rip Pansy's head off; Hadrian didn't fight it but leaned more solidly into the Veela, and his mate's scent helped Draco keep his hold on sanity, "Hadrian is my mate; I have no desire to be with anyone other than him, and anyone who gets between us will die a slow and painful death. Crabbe! Goyle!" The two bigger boys, Draco's body guards ever since they had been children, stepped forward and looked at Draco, waiting for his instructions. "Get her out of here before I kill the stupid bint." The two Slytherin's mumbled an agreement and took hold of Pansy's arms, but someone else intervened.

"It's alright boys," Severus said silkily, "I will take care of Miss Parkinson; it seems she needs a lesson on Veela's and their mates. Come girl, before you provoke Draco any further." Arden looked back at Draco and then followed Severus and Pansy, growling at the girl and obviously making her uncomfortable as Severus lead her away from the party.

"Calm down now Dray," Hadrian said softly, relaxing into the Slytherin's hold and laying his head back on Draco's shoulder; "Severus and Arden will take care of her; she shouldn't bother us again tonight."

"Stupid bint," Draco muttered, turning his head so that he could smell Hadrian's hair, the scent helping him to calm down, "I think she wants to die."

"She never did know how to let go gracefully," Blaise commented, watching the interaction between his best friend and the former Golden Boy; "I'll try to keep her away from you until she comes to her senses."

"Ha!" Theo scoffed, "You'll be waiting a while for that! Pansy is like a dog with a bone; she doesn't know when to stop, or how to give in. Never-the-less, I shall also endeavor to keep her away from you. Are you okay now Draco?"

"I was always okay," Draco returned with a sneer, "It was that useless Parkinson who was almost in trouble." He pressed a soft kiss to the side of Hadrian's neck, relishing in the shiver it produced. "I do, however, thank you for your offer of assistance-I really would hate to have to kill someone this early on in the relationship. Crabbe-you and Goyle may go now." The two lumbering Slytherin's left without another word-not that they had actually said anything to begin with.

"What are you going to do if the Dark Lord does decide that he needs to get rid of Potter?" Theo asked, "You know the prophesy as well as I do."

"I don't think that will happen," Hadrian replied with a smile, "The…Dark Lord and I have already spoken and, well, we've come to an agreement." He paused for a moment and then tilted his head back to look at Draco; "You can tell the rest if you want; I don't think they would betray us-it's not in their best interest."

"I agree," Draco nodded, "I will tell them-after supper. Theo, Blaise-after I open my presents Hadrian and I need to talk to you; we haven't told you the full truth yet, but I think you deserve to know exactly what we found out, and why the Dark Lord is no longer set on killing my mate." Blaise and Theo nodded their agreement as Arden came trotting back over to them, followed by a bemused Severus.

"Arden lit her robes on fire," Snape informed them, "Needless to say, Miss Parkinson was not pleased and she left for the evening. Now come; Narcissa said it is time for dinner and presents."

Dinner passed uneventfully, and then Draco opened his presents. Many of the gifts were expensive but fairly useless, meant to show the giver's status, while a few were actually useful, things Draco could use in school-even if they were a bit ostentatious, such as the ostrich-feather and gold quill and the set of potions vials made of Swarovski Crystals. Draco's second gift from his parents was a weeks' vacation for two at a popular wizarding club for teens, Severus gave him a small line of credit at a prominent potions ingredient shop, and Tom gave him a gift certificate to an exclusive restaurant in Paris. When he opened the dragon figurines and saw the sigil etched into the wings, Draco was hard-pressed to hide his excitement as he looked up at Hadrian, who was standing beside his chair.

"Hades-these are-do you have any idea what these are?"

"Dragon figurines?" Hadrian replied with a cheeky smile, "And yes, I know that they were made by Isabella Slytherin-George pointed out the markings to me. So, I guess you like them?"

"They are amazing," Draco said, when Arden let out a soft growl he added, "Almost as amazing as Arden. In fact, I don't think I've appropriately expressed how much I appreciate the gifts you've given me." Without any warning, Draco pulled Hadrian into his lap and thoroughly kissed the brunet in front of everyone.

"No Tom, don't interrupt," Narcissa placed a hand on Tom's arm as he moved towards the boys, no doubt intent on separating them.

"This behavior is highly inappropriate," Tom protested, "You can't tell me you approve of this!"

"Why yes, we do approve of Draco showing appreciation to his mate," Lucius drawled, "After all, he is a Veela-it is a natural instinct."

"And, if you were to interfere Draco could very well see you as a threat," Severus pointed out, "I'd hate to hex my godson to stop him from killing you." Tom glared at them all and the guests held their collective breaths; they were all somewhat disappointed when he merely said;

"Very well; I shall leave them be-for now." About this time Draco finally broke the kiss and the party resumed-although he refused to let Hadrian retreat to his own chair. Once all the presents had been opened and the cake was served the guests broke into smaller groups and Draco, Hadrian, Theo and Blaise retired to the small parlor down the hall. Hadrian once again shared a couch with Draco, and Arden lay across their laps, his head resting on Draco's thigh.

"So, what terrible secret are you getting ready to burden us with?" Theo asked nonchalantly as he draped himself in a chair-Hadrian couldn't help but notice that he wasn't nearly as graceful as Draco, and he smirked a little as he leaned up against the blond.

"First you both have to swear not to tell anyone else without our permission," Draco stated, "This is very important and very few people know; the Dark Lord is one of those people however, so you will not be able to blackmail us."

"Take all the fun out of it why don't you?" Blaise said teasingly, and then he and Theo made a wizard's promise to keep the information secret.

"I guess you want me to start it off again?" Hadrian asked with a sigh, "I'm getting really tired of having to tell the story over and over again."

"Well, after this we could make a copy of our memories and place them in a pensieve," Draco suggested, "Although I think that would take longer than just telling the story."

"You're right," Hadrian nodded, stroking Arden's scales as he-once again-told the story about what he had gone through the past few days; "The other night I overheard my aunt and uncle talking to Dumbledore about how he was paying them to neglect me and such, then he gave them permission to physically abuse me and also gave them some potions to stop me from fighting back. My uncle beat me pretty badly but I managed to escape and wound up here, where I passed out from blood loss and Draco and Severus saved me. Then Tom-the Dark Lord-showed up and said he wasn't going to kill me and they had Draco and me watch some memories where we discovered Dumbledore is the bad guy, Tom is my dad, and I have a mom and a twin sister who are still alive somewhere in America. Also, Hermione is not a Muggleborn-Bellatrix is her mom-and Dumbledore Imperiused Bellatrix and her husband, forcing them to Crucio Neville's parents into insanity. Ginny is not actually a Weasley-she is the Potter's-James and Lily's-real child and…I think that's it, right Dray?"

"Yes, that about covers the basics," Draco confirmed, "Although I can see Theo and Blaise are having trouble believing you."

"You have to admit it's farfetched," Theo arched a brow, "I mean, Dumbledore, the paragon of light , is actually evil and the Dark Lord-"

"Whose real name is Tom," Blaise supplied helpfully.

"-the Dark Lord is actually your father," Theo continued, "not to mention crazy Bella is the Mudblood Granger's mom, only Granger isn't a Mudblood, and the blood-traitor Weaslette is actually the Potter heir? Next you'll tell me the Dark Lord is all for the mingling of wizards and Muggles."

"Of course not," Hadrian scoffed, "He still thinks our worlds should be separated, he just knows that there are better ways to go about it than killing anyone who doesn't agree. Although, he does still plan to kill Dumbledore, something I agree with. I guess you'd like to see the memories before you believe me?"

"Not trying to call you a liar, but yeah; the memories would help," Blaise said, "I don't suppose you have them with you?"

"Of course I do," Draco replied, pulling the small vial of memories out of his pocket, "This holds the last bit of memories; that should be enough for you to see that we are telling the truth. We don't have a pensieve, but Fred taught me a spell to bring the memories up on a sort of viewing screen; will that be acceptable?"

"Yes," Theo agreed and Blaise nodded, "But why don't you just borrow your parents' pensieve?"

"Because we aren't supposed to be sharing the memories with anyone," Draco replied, "They don't want us involved, so we decided to take things into our own hands." Arden chirped his agreement, lightly hitting Hadrian with his tail.

"Very well," Theo said, "I'm ready to view the memories." Draco nodded, pulled the stopper out of the bottle and said the incantation to let them all view the memories.

"I guess Fred helped you separate the memories too?" Hadrian asked once the memories started playing on the screen; he had erected a privacy spell around Theo and Blaise so that no one outside of the room would hear the memories.

"Yes," Draco replied, "I was telling him how inconvenient it was to wait while people viewed the entire set of memories, so he made a copy of every memory we saw and then separated them so that we could choose which ones to play. You know, you really need to go through your belongings back in our room; I'm sure you have a bunch of junk in the bottom of your trunk that can be thrown away."

"You're probably right," Hadrian grinned, "I never really clean it out-I just throw the top layer of trash out at the end of each year and put my new books and such on top."

"Well, we'll go through it and get you a new trunk for this year," Draco said, "Something with different compartments so that you can find things more easily. Perhaps we can go Monday when Mother goes to the ministry to be appointed as your guardian."

"Or we can go when we get our school lists," Hadrian shrugged, "It's not like I'll need it before then. I was also thinking that tomorrow we should take a look at those books; I believe Tom and your dad were working on the journals, but we can translate the potions books."

"I'm interested to see what sort of potions are in there," Draco agreed, "Do you get the feeling that they are purposefully keeping us from the actual journals?"

"You think so too? I think they're afraid of what we might find," Hadrian said, "There's no telling what sort of spells and such Mathias and his wife recorded;" he frowned thoughtfully before adding, "We should try to get ahold of them if we can, but don't let them know what we're doing; they haven't forbidden us from reading the books, so we can't get in trouble for it."

"Very Slytherin of you Hades," Draco said approvingly, "Oh, it looks like Theo and Blaise are done." He quickly took down the silencing spell and looked at his friends; "Well?"

"We believe you," Theo said, after sharing a quick glance with Blaise, "The question is, what do you plan to do now?"

"Well, our parents had an organization called the 'Order of the Black Rose' and they are planning to start it up again," Draco began, "But, of course, they won't allow us to join-"

"Which is why we are going to start our own organization," Hadrian finished, "We already have Neville, Luna and the Weasley twins on our side, so are you two willing to join us?"

"Join you in doing what, exactly?" Blaise demanded, "You still haven't told us your plan." Draco growled lowly at Blaise's tone, only relaxing when Hadrian rested his head on the blonde's shoulder and Arden gave a soft, reassuring chirrup.

"Well, to fight against Dumbledore, of course," Hadrian's tone said that he thought it was obvious, "Not outright fighting him, like with hexes and such, but undermining his authority and uniting the school against him. In addition, we want to reach out to everyone who has been negatively affected by his meddling and show them what truly happened."

"Well, as long as you aren't planning to just run at him with swords drawn and wands blazing, I'd like to help," Blaise said, "From what I saw in that last memory…Dumbledore is far more evil than we ever thought the Dark Lor-what should we call him?"

"The Dark Lord," Draco replied promptly, "He doesn't know we've told you the truth yet, so you should still refer to him as you would have before tonight. Do you two have any other questions?"

"What do you plan to do next?" Theo asked, "It seems that there is much to be done if we are going to make Dumbledore pay for his interference; we are going to make him pay, right?"

"Eventually," Draco nodded, "but we have to move carefully-we don't want him to know that we know what he did."

"Is Hadrian really your mate then?" Blaise asked curiously, "Or was all that just for show so that you could explain him being here."

"He is my mate and no one had better interfere," Draco growled again, and Hadrian shook his head with a sigh.

"Calm down Dray," he said, "It was a legitimate question; yes, we're mates Blaise, so you should probably tell all your friends so that they don't piss Draco off. Also, I'm getting re-sorted at the beginning of the year, and I expect I'll be in Slytherin."

"Yeah right," Theo scoffed, "Why would the Hat put you in Slytherin? You're the ultimate Gryffindor-er…no offense Draco." Theo gave Arden a wary look when the dragon growled at him too.

"Long story, but the Hat originally wanted to put me in Slytherin," Hadrian replied, moving Arden out of the way so that he could sit on Draco's lap; the Veela seemed to be cranky, as he became tense any time Blaise or Theo spoke to Hadrian, and the brunet didn't want to risk Draco attacking the other boys; Draco willing wrapped his arm around Hadrian's waist and pressed a kiss to the side of his neck. Hadrian shook his head lightly before continuing; "I had already been told all Slytherin's were evil though, so I asked it to put me somewhere else, and it chose Gryffindor." Arden snorted in what appeared to be annoyance before climbing up on the back of the couch and wrapping around Draco's shoulders.

"Interesting," Blaise said thoughtfully before getting to his feet, "Well, we-at least Theo and I-should get back to the party before someone comes looking for us. We should get everyone you've converted together sometime before school begins."

"At Hadrian's birthday party, if not before," Draco replied, "If you see my parents, tell them that Hadrian and I will be out shortly-"

"I don't think so, Son," Lucius said drily, "You have hidden away in here long enough, and we can't start the dancing without you."

"Dancing?" Hadrian groaned, "I hate dancing! I'm absolute rubbish at it."

"And neither of us can dance with anyone else," Draco pointed out, "So I really don't see the point." He crossed his arms and scowled at his father, reinforcing Hadrian's belief that the Veela was in a cranky mood.

"It is tradition," Lucius replied, "However I can see that you are in a mood, so I will give you ten minutes to collect yourself; after that you will return to the ballroom and remain for at least an hour. For every minute past ten I will add ten minutes to the time you must remain at the party, and I will insure that Hadrian sleeps in his own room tonight-is that clear?"

"Yes Father," Draco pouted; Lucius nodded in satisfaction and then motioned Theo and Blaise out the door; Arden gave a peculiar chirping sound and jumped down from the couch, following Lucius out the door, and then Hadrian and Draco were alone.

"And what has you acting all grumpy?" Hadrian demanded once the door had closed, "Every time your friends spoke to me you acted like you wanted to attack them."

"They were being disrespectful," Draco pouted, "And…just having so many people around us for these past few hours has been slowly wearing away my patience." He tightened his arm around Hadrian's waist and the brunet leaned back, tilting his head so that he could see Draco's face.

"And we all know how little patience you have to begin with," he teased the blond, earning a playful growl from his Veela.

"Yes, well I think I have shown considerable restraint by not attacking you while we still had company in the room," Draco replied before twisting around until he had Hadrian laying down on the couch beneath him, "Of course, we're alone now…"

"Dray-" Hadrian's protest was cut off as Draco leaned in and pressed their lips together in a gentle kiss that had Hadrian relaxing immediately. Hadrian wrapped his arms around Draco's neck to hold him there and hesitantly nibbled at the other boy's bottom lip; Draco's lips parted readily, and Hadrian took the initiative to invade the Veela's mouth with his tongue, mapping it out in an attempt to assert some dominance-he didn't mind Draco taking the lead most of the time, he really didn't, but he also didn't want Draco to think that he was going to sit back and let the blond do whatever he wanted. The playful battle for dominance lasted a few moments, then Draco let out a soft growl and took control of the kiss and drawing a soft moan from Hadrian; Draco shifted on top of the brunet and then lowered his hips, pressing their erections together and causing Hadrian to jerk away from the kiss with a sharp gasp. Draco smirked and trailed kisses down his neck to the spot he had marked earlier, pressing a gentle kiss there that made Hadrian shiver as he continues to press their groins together. Before he could do anything else-like begin to get Hadrian out of his clothes-there was a loud pop and-

"Master Draco! Tillie is sorry to be interrupting, but it is being ten minutes!" The house elf sounded anxious, "Master Lucius is saying you is needing to be at party now, or else!"

"Fine-we will be there as soon as we straighten our clothing," Draco informed the house elf, and Tillie vanished with another pop; "This has to be the worst birthday ever," Draco complained as he slid off of Hadrian and then helped the other boy to his feet, "I can't wait until everyone goes home and it is just us."

"Yes, such a horrible birthday," the sarcasm in Hadrian's voice was pronounced, "You got a party with your friends and family, a table-full of gifts, and you managed to convince some deity to make me your mate, forcing me to be with you unless I want you to die-ow!" Hadrian pouted at Draco, who was scowling at him, "What? I was just kidding! No need to be all abusive!"

"Your sense of humor leaves something to be desired," Draco replied, straightening both his and Hadrian's clothing; "Now, we will return to the party, and if you don't show me proper respect-"

"I was just kidding Dray," Hadrian interrupted, "I'm still a little shocked at how things turned out, but I'm not upset about being your mate. And you had better stop threatening me; just because you're the so-called "dominant" that doesn't mean I'm going to let you push me around." He leaned up and gave Draco a quick kiss on the cheek, "Let's go; we only have an hour and then we can leave the party."

"Fine," Draco sniffed, turning away from Hadrian, "You're such an inconsiderate mate; I want to know what deity decided to punish me by forcing me to be with you-I must have done something terrible in a past life."

"Well, of course you did," Hadrian said cheerfully, taking Draco's hand as they left the room, "You're an evil Slytherin git, remember?"

"You will pay for that statement Hades," Draco promised, "Just wait until we are alone." Hadrian met his glare with a bright smile as they re-joined the party once again.

The next hour went by fairly quickly; Hadrian and Draco danced a few times and Hadrian was surprised to find out that he was actually decent at it when he let someone else lead. They spoke to Theo and Blaise a bit more-always about innocent subjects, such as the summer homework which Hadrian had yet to start, and they also spoke to a few of the other guests. There had been once incident where an older wizard bumped into Hadrian and Draco started to lose his temper, but the man apologized to Hadrian and Draco, so the Veela let it go, although Hadrian sensed that he was disappointed at not being able to punish the man.

Aside from that incident the party went smoothly, and after the hour was up Draco and Hadrian took their leave, with Narcissa warning them that they would not be permitted to sleep in the following day. The two boys headed upstairs and changed in their separate bedrooms, after which Draco joined Hadrian in the brunet's room.

"Might as well just call it a storage room," Hadrian commented as he knelt down in front of his trunk; after their conversation earlier he became curious to see what was actually in there, and decided to go through it before going to bed.

"You could always have the house elves make the bed smaller and add an oriental screen," Draco suggested, "Then you would have room to add a few soft chairs and a small table so that you have a private place to meet with your friends, while still having your own room in case you get irrationally angry with me and decide you want to sleep in here."

"Ha ha," Hadrian said drily, "When I get mad at you I'm certain I will have a very valid reason. Come on Dray; help me go through this stuff." Hadrian opened the trunk and first set aside the box he had stolen from his uncle's study, intending to go through it later, and then he pulled out his school books from the previous year, as well as his summer assignments; Draco immediately banished them to Hadrian's desk, and looked on in disgust as Hadrian pulled out his clothes-Dudley's old hand-me-downs.

"The only clothing half-way decent in here is your school uniform and your underwear," Draco commented, wrinkling his nose, "Do you feel any particular attachment to the clothes?"

"No," Hadrian replied, "But I sometimes use the clothes to cushion things that might break, so just make sure there aren't any objects mixed in with the clothes before you throw them out." The boys spent the next twenty minutes or so sorting through Hadrian's trunk; the clothes were all tossed to the side with spare scraps of parchment, old school assignments, stale candy and other trash to be picked up by the house elves when they were done. All of Hadrian's old schoolbooks as well as the handful of other books he had received over the years went on his bookshelf, as did the few personal items he had-the miniature Hungarian Horntail from the Tri-wizard Tournament, the sneak-a-scope Ron gave him in third year, the photo album of his parents-rather his cousins, since Lily was his real mom's cousin-and a few other items that he had received for Christmas over the past few years. His invisibility cloak-would he have to give that to Ginny?-and the Marauder's Map (which he was _not_ giving up, no matter what anyone said) he placed in a hidden cabinet by his bed that would only open to his magical signature. At the very bottom of the trunk Hadrian found the penknife and the mirror that Sirius had given him the previous year; the mirror was shattered from Hadrian throwing it angrily into his trunk, but Draco assured him it could be fixed. Once the trunk was empty of everything valuable Hadrian banished all the rubbish on the bottom, and Draco summoned a house elf to get rid of the clothes and such, and then Hadrian picked up the box and followed Draco to his room, where they both sat in the window seat once again.

"Where did you get that box?" Draco asked, "And why does it say 'Freak' on the lid?"

"I took it from my uncles study before I ran away," Hadrian replied with a shrug, "I don't know what's in it, but I'm guessing it's mine-either that or it belonged to James and Lily. I-I'm not sure if I want to deal with whatever is inside it tonight; maybe I should wait until tomorrow to look through it."

"Whatever you like Hades," Draco said agreeably, "We need to really get started on our summer work tomorrow as well, and we should look at that journal. I wish we could get a hold of Slytherin's books…"

"Maybe…if I talk to Tom alone he'll let me see them," Hadrian mused, "It's worth a shot, right?"

"Definitely," Draco nodded, "So, after breakfast tomorrow we can go through your box, then we will begin our homework and after lunch we can start translating that book, which will leave us with the rest of the evening to relax." Draco let out a yawn and got to his feet; "I don't know about you, but I'm ready for bed."

"Yeah, I think I am too," Hadrian replied, "Why do I feel so drained?"

"Since you were in the room with me when I reached my inheritance the magic probably affected you as well," Draco replied, "Have you felt any different today?" Harry tilted his head thoughtfully, taking Draco's offered hand and allowing the blond to pull him to his feet.

"Now that you mention it, I haven't felt as embarrassed when you kissed me and such in front of people today," Hadrian replied, "And I could also feel your magic when you got mad, and after we went back downstairs I noticed that I felt responsible for keeping you from freaking out."

"The magic from my inheritance seems to have started out bond," Draco said, "Normally we wouldn't begin to form a bond until after we both turned sixteen, but it's started early; most Veela's don't get to be around their mate until after the mate reaches the age of sixteen, so this is rather new and not documented."

"Of course," Hadrian rolled his eyes, "Not only do I have to be a Veela's mate, but we can't even have a normal bond. Speaking of, what was that spell you used on me earlier? And why did you have your wand up my…"

"Well, I had my wand in your tight little hole so I could cast a spell, obviously," Draco smirked at Hadrian's blush, "As for what spell…" Draco trailed off, looking uncertain, "Well, it was somewhat instinctual; I read about it in a journal written by one of my Veela ancestors, and…I don't think I should tell you."

"Draco," Hadrian said warningly, "What did you do? You'd better tell me now-if I find out later I'll just be even more pissed."

"Okay," Draco sighed, "Well, it was a sort of binding spell; remember how I had you say that you are mine and no one else could make you feel as good as I could?" Hadrian nodded slowly, green eyes narrowed; "When you said that, my Veela magic enacted a spell and…it's not like either of us could be with anyone else anyway-not unless you're willing to let me die."

"Wait," Hadrian glared at him, "Are you telling me that you used a spell to…to…to make sure that I could never have sex with anyone else? Is that what you did Draco Malfoy?"

"Yes," Draco said simply, standing straight and meet Hadrian's gaze head on, "But as I said, neither of us are able to have sex with anyone else anyway, so I really don't see what the big deal is."

"You don't see…" Hadrian trailed off, trying to reign in his temper; how dare Draco do something like this? As if he thought Hadrian would cheat on him…the stupid Slytherin…"You arrogant prick. You had no right to cast such a spell on me; it's not like I would have tried to be with anyone else regardless-I don't want you to die; or at least I didn't, but right now…I could just about AK you myself. Stupid…gah! I can't even look at you right now! I'm sleeping in my room tonight."

"No!" Draco grabbed his arm, stopping Hadrian from walking away, "You can't! It's…I need you in here; please Hades. You saw how I was earlier; if you sleep in a separate room-"

"I don't see how that's my problem," Hadrian said coldly, "You don't even see that what you did was wrong! Why should I care if you suffer tonight? You obviously didn't worry about how I would feel when you cast that stupid spell. Now let me go, Malfoy."

"Don't call me that," Draco growled, but there was a hint of desperation in his voice as he pushed Hadrian back down onto the window seat; "Don't-don't call me Malfoy; not after everything…" He trailed off again, closing his eyes only to open them once more and scowl at Hadrian, who was struggling to get out of his grip. "Stop it Hadrian; I need to think."

"Then I guess we're going to be here for a while," Hadrian said nastily, ignoring the small pain in his chest as he said that; he vaguely felt like he should apologize, but he quickly pushed the feeling away. "We all know how difficult it is for you to actually think; now, let go!" Hadrian used a burst of magic to push a startled Draco away from him, but the blond recovered quickly and managed to trap Harry against the wall before the brunet could leave the room.

"You are not going anywhere," Draco hissed, "You are mine and you will-"

"Get out of my face!" Hadrian shouted, twisting in Draco's grip; the Veela's grip on his arms was beginning to hurt, but he fought not to show it; "Your possessiveness is what got us in this situation in the first place!"

"No, your inability to listen to the simplest instructions got us into this mess," Draco retorted tightening his grip even more, "I told you last night-hell, my entire family, including Severus told you-not to let anyone flirt with you, but did you listen? No; you were too worried about hurting that whore Pansy Parkinson, and you didn't stop to think about the consequences! If you hadn't let her-"

"I never wanted her to touch me!" Hadrian interrupted angrily, trying to kick Draco in an attempt to get away; he made contact with the blonde's shin, but that only succeeded in making Draco growl again; "Draco! Stop it! Pansy just latched onto me…like a leech! I told her to let me go; Blaise and Theo were right there-they'll tell you! But even so, that doesn't give you the right-"

"I had every right," Draco hissed back, "I am your Dominant, and I have the right to administer punishment and take corrective measures however I see fit; right now you are at the height of disobedience, and I will not stand for it! You will apologize to me right now, Hadrian Riddle-apologize or face the consequences of your actions."

"I'm not-I already apologized for the Pansy thing!" Hadrian protested, "And I'm not…wait; I need…Draco, why are we both so angry? There's…I really just want to hex you into oblivion right now, and I don't even know why!" Hadrian closed his eyes and focused on calming his breathing, wondering where all that rage had come from. "Arden-"

"Is sleeping in your room, as you very well know," Draco said tersely, "Well Hadrian? Are you ready to apologize?"

"You haven't apologized yet," Hadrian pointed out, keeping his voice steady, "and I was upset first; you…I made a mistake, but you overreacted with that spell-why can't you just admit it? You know I didn't encourage her." He paused to take a deep breath and then opened his eyes, meeting Draco's still-angry stare. "Draco-if you stop holding so tight I promise I won't try to leave; I'll stay in here so we can discuss this."

"You won't sleep in the other room tonight?" Draco asked suspiciously, "You swear it?"

"I promise I'll sleep in here tonight," Hadrian replied; the change in the Veela's mood was swift-one moment Hadrian could feel the anger rolling off him in waves, and the next Draco was calm again, although he still looked irritated. "What was that all about Draco?"

"I'm not sure," Draco said slowly, releasing Hadrian's arms and frowning at the other boy's slight wince, "I didn't mean to hurt you; are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Hadrian said softly, dropping his gaze, "I might have some bruises, but it's nothing serious; you have a healing potion, right?"

"Yes," Draco replied, "Take off your shirt so I can see." Hadrian thought about protesting, but he wasn't prepared to break this fragile truce yet, so with a sigh he unbuttoned his pajama top and let it slide off his shoulders. Once the shirt was gone Draco laid gentle fingers across the purpling marks he had previously left, and noticed how Hadrian bit his lip against the pain. "I am sorry I hurt you Hades," Draco said softly as he traced the bruises, "Come sit down and I'll get some salve." Draco slid his hands down until he was able to intertwine his fingers with Hadrian's; he tugged gently and led him over to the bed.

"It's not really that bad," Hadrian tried to reassure him as Draco made him sit down, "We really should talk first, and then you can get the salve."

"No," Draco shook his head stubbornly, "I hurt you, and I'm going to fix that first, then we will talk. Just stay there; no, in fact-Accio Bruise Balm!" A small container flew out of the bathroom to land in Draco's hand; "Here-now just sit still." Hadrian rolled his eyes but obediently sat still as Draco applied the balm to his bruises; the thin paste tingled unpleasantly for a moment, then the pain faded and when he looked down the bruises were gone.

"Thank you," Hadrian said, "Okay, so we know why I was mad-the whole using-a-spell-to-bind-me-closer-to-you-without-my-permission-thing, but why did you freak out so badly when I tried to leave?"

"Ah!" Draco said, a look of understanding flashing across his features, "Of course; it was because you threatened to sleep in another room, I'm sure of it. When you were upset and yelling at me about the spell I felt guilty and was on the verge of apologizing, and offering more explanation, but then you threatened to sleep in the other room…and I just lost control."

"But you said I could sleep in there when I needed to," Hadrian protested, "I was supposed to be able to use that room when I get to upset to be in the same room as you!"

"I know," Draco replied, "and you will be able to use that room…eventually. It seems that right now, with this still being so new and the bond being so thin right now that having you away from me for that long isn't a very good idea. It will get better over time, but I'm not sure exactly how long it will take; it could be a week, it could be after your birthday, or it could be after we physically complete the bond."

"So even when I'm mad at you I have no choice but to sleep with you?" Hadrian demanded, "Typical." He crossed his now-unbruised-arms and pouted.

"You will need to sleep in this room," Draco confirmed, "but if you truly are that angry with me, we could probably conjure another bed for you-or me-to sleep in."

"I'm not going to kick you out of your own bed," Hadrian rolled his eyes; "I just want to get this settled tonight. So; that spell?"

"It's instinctual," Draco replied, "I felt threatened-normally a Veela will stay in seclusion with their mate for the first few days after the bond is initiated; being around so many people and then having Pansy throw herself at you…well, it was already trying my patience and putting strain on our bond. I knew intellectually that you weren't interested in her, but…my inner Veela, if you will, felt threatened because you didn't hex her away from you. I felt…almost as if you were rejecting me, and my Veela instincts demanded that I make sure everyone could see that you were my mate, and also that you would never want to leave me, and then the spell happened."

"So…you didn't actually plan the spell?" Hadrian questioned.

"No, I didn't," Draco responded, "I'm sorry for casting a spell on you like that without your permission. As for my anger and our argument a few minutes ago…our already strained bond caused me to lose a grip on my emotions when I thought you were going to sleep in the other room; once again it felt like you were only a step away from rejecting me, and this…enraged me. Due to our bond, you were able to feel my anger and it added to yours, which then added to mine and…well, we both lost our grip on sanity for a few minutes."

"So in order to not repeat tonight we need to avoid people for a few days?" Hadrian clarified.

"Yes," Draco nodded, "Although, I believe being around my parents, your father and Severus will be alright, as long as we get enough time to ourselves as well."

"Okay," Hadrian agreed, "I guess that means we should tell them about what happened tonight, but we can leave out the bruises; you didn't mean to do it, and I don't want Tom to get mad at you since I forgive you. I'm sorry for losing my temper as well."

"Apology accepted," Draco said with a smile, "So, are you ready to go to bed, because I know I feel exhausted."

"Yeah, me too," Hadrian agreed before biting his lip uncertainly, "Although…look, I still need a bit of time to process everything; I-can we set up another bed for me? Just for tonight?" Hadrian almost took it back when he saw the sad expression on Draco's face, but he managed to keep his gaze steady.

"Of course," Draco replied, "I wish you felt comfortable enough to-but I suppose I understand. Just, if we start to feel unreasonable anger or sudden depression, you'll lay with me so it doesn't get out of hand again, right?"

"If it comes to it then yes," Hadrian said; Draco nodded and then conjured a smaller bed next to his own; it was piled high with pillows and blankets, and looked even more comfortable than Draco's own bed. "Thank you;" Hadrian said softly, watching as Draco lay down under the covers before he climbed into the conjured bed; "Good night Dray."

"Sweet Dream Hades," Draco replied sadly, and they both settled down without saying another word.

Twenty minutes passed, and Draco was both relieved and disappointed when he felt no ill effects from Hadrian sleeping in a different bed-relieved because that meant they wouldn't have another argument, and disappointed because it meant he really would have to sleep alone tonight. As he thought this, Draco heard Hadrian get out of the bed.

"Hades?" he questioned, "What are you doing?"

"Coming to bed," Hadrian replied as he climbed up on the opposite side of the bed from Draco; "That is, if you still want me to."

"Of course I do," Draco assured him, "but what changed your mind?"

"Well, I wasn't really intending to sleep on that bed," Hadrian admitted, "I just wanted to test it and see if it would cause us any problems, in case we get into a fight again. Now that I know I can at least sleep in another bed if you annoy me again, I'd really like to sleep with you."

"Obnoxious Gryffindor," Draco huffed, but Hadrian could hear his amusement, and then he felt a hand on his wrist; "Come here, you git." Hadrian chuckled and allowed himself to be tugged over until he was lying against Draco; the blond lifted Hadrian's head and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips, before allowing Hadrian to settle down with his head on Draco's chest. "Prat;" Draco said good-naturedly.

"Slytherin git," Hadrian retorted; "G'night."

"Good night," Draco responded, wrapping Hadrian in a comforting embrace; within moments both boys were sound asleep.

**AN: Chapter up; yay! And I'm already working on the next one, so I should be able to update again soon, hopefully; it just depends on whether or not my muse feels like cooperating. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed!**


	15. Chapter 14

Hadrian awoke early the next morning wrapped in Draco's arms as usual, and snuggled in closer to the blond, smiling when he felt a soft kiss on the top of his head. Hadrian lifted his head to kiss Draco on the cheek, and then slipped out of the blond's embrace and headed to the bathroom to shower. While he was showering, Hadrian thought back to the night before and found himself frowning as he remembered Draco's actions; true, he had forgiven the blond because Draco had explained he acted on instinct, but still…he couldn't just forget about what happened. Now that he was away from the Veela, Hadrian realized that he was still upset, especially since Draco didn't even seem to think that he had done anything wrong. Hadrian didn't want to start another fight with Draco, but he worried that if he just let it go Draco might try something like that again.

With a sigh Hadrian finished his shower quickly and walked into his own room, where he saw Arden still sleeping on the bed. He went into the closet and got dressed-he managed to find a pair of dark jeans and a red silk shirt that was more casual than most of the other clothing-and then walked over to his bookcase, searching for the books that Narcissa had given him. There were five or six books about Veela's, and one titled "Being a Veela's Mate" by Cassiopeia Black which looked promising. Before he had a chance to settle down and start reading, Arden jumped off the bed and gave a loud chirrup; the dragon sat by the door and looked at Hadrian expectantly, until the brunet opened the door, allowing Arden to venture into Draco's bedroom. Arden immediately headed over to Draco's desk and climbed on top of it, before letting out another loud chirrup. Looking over at the bed, Hadrian saw Draco beginning to stir, and then the Veela sat up, looking around in confusion.

"I'm over here Draco," Hadrian called softly, standing in the doorway, "I woke up a while ago, and I decided to read some of the information your mom gave me about Veela's."

"Why don't you come back to bed?" Draco questioned, "It's still early, and I want to hold you."

"I'm not tired," Hadrian replied, "I am starting to get hungry though; why don't you take a shower so that we can go down to breakfast together?"

"If you refuse to come back to bed I suppose I may as well get up," Draco pouted; he got out of bed, pausing a moment by his desk to stroke Arden's neck, smiling as the little dragon let out a sound suspiciously like a purr. "You'll wait for me to go down?"

"Of course," Hadrian replied, "I'd probably still get lost without you. I'll just be in my room reading; come get me when you're done getting dressed."

"Someone sure is bossy this morning," Draco mock-glared at him, "Don't I even get a kiss good morning?"

"Not until you take a shower and brush your teeth," Hadrian responded, "Until then you can consider me off-limits." Hadrian stuck his tongue out and then shut the door, quickly activating a ward to prevent Draco from entering.

"Be that way then prat!" Draco called through the door, "Just see if I still let you kiss me after my shower!" Hadrian just laughed, and a few minutes later he heard the shower turn on. He went back over to the bookcase and picked up the book he had seen earlier and sat down on his bed to read it.

The book was very interesting for Hadrian, as it was written exclusively for Veela mates; it was co-written by Cassiopeia Black and Laurent Lovegood, most likely one of Luna's ancestors. Laurent was a dominant Veela and Cassiopeia his mate, and they both gave advice on how a Veela's mate could force said Veela to accept an un-wanted decision without it leading to a fight. By the time Draco finished getting ready for breakfast, Hadrian knew what he was going to do-how to make the other boy understand that casting a spell like that on Hadrian without his permission was not okay.

"Hadrian?" There was a knock on his door, "Come out now; I'm ready for breakfast."

"Just a sec," Hadrian replied, setting the book on his desk. Taking a deep breath he opened the door, but made sure to stay on his side of the doorway; "Before we go downstairs we need to talk about last night."

"What about it?" Draco frowned, "We settled all of that before we went to bed, so why are you bringing it up now Hadrian?"

"We didn't settle it," Hadrian replied, "When I got up this morning, as soon as I got in the bathroom I started thinking about what you did after the 'Pansy incident' and I realized that I was still upset; I know you said using the spell was unintentional, so I could forgive you for that, but I still don't believe you're truly sorry. Are you? And please, don't lie to me."

"Very well," Draco said, "I won't lie; I am not sorry for what I did because it was instinctual for me. I merely reacted to the situation in the ballroom and marked my claim, as is my right as your mate. Also, as I said before, if you truly have accepted me as your mate then neither of us can be with anyone else so the spell really didn't make any difference, except to give me some piece of mind."

"After I realized what was going on," Hadrian began, "during our argument, once we started to calm down did you use your Allure on me? Is that why I suddenly went from wanted to hex you to wanting to cuddle?"

"I didn't want to sleep without you," Draco evaded the question, "Why are you doing this Hadrian? What do you expect to gain from bringing this up?" He reached out a hand to try and touch Hadrian, but the wards were still active and he got a nasty shock, causing him to scowl at Hadrian in irritation.

"I want you to understand where I'm coming from," Hadrian replied, "I want you to understand that what you did was wrong and that-Veela instinct or not-you can't just use spells to make me do what you want. You say that I'm your mate, and you would do anything to protect me, but does that include protecting me from yourself? I understand that there are certain situations where I might do something stupid that will make you feel like you have to punish me or whatever, but you told me the other day that the punishment would fit the crime; well, you went way overboard last night, and you won't even admit it. You didn't even mean that half-assed apology you gave me last night, and until you realize what you did was wrong…I don't want to be around you." Hadrian took a step back at the fury he saw reflected in Draco's gaze, but continued firmly, recalling the words he had read earlier; "I, Hadrian Riddle, claim the right of an injured mate. A dominant's job is to protect and care for their mate, and only administer punishment when it is warranted, in a manner that fits the crime. You have overstepped you rights as dominant, and until such time as you repent your actions I refuse to be in your presence unless it is necessary for your safety or mine." Draco stared at him in open-mouthed astonishment for a moment before responding.

"You-you can't be serious Hadrian," Draco said, "You are going to avoid me-knowing how it will affect me?" He crossed his arms and glared at the brunet.

"You brought this on yourself," Hadrian replied stubbornly, "and it's not like I'm going to run off to hang out with Neville or the twins for the day-I'll be in my room getting started on my homework; I just won't be interacting with you until you understand what you did was wrong. And, if you try to use your Allure on me or otherwise force me to talk to you before I'm ready then I will tell Tom _everything_ that happened last night, and I will move to Riddle Manor until after my birthday; I know that there are potions you can take to keep you from going insane."

"I can't believe you would do this to me," Draco said sullenly, "but if that's the way you want to be…fine. I suppose I should head on down to breakfast then, since you want nothing to do with me."

"I'm going down to breakfast with you," Hadrian sighed, "our parents don't need to know that we're having a disagreement; I want to settle this ourselves."

"So you want to pretend that everything is fine until after breakfast?" Draco questioned.

"Yes," Hadrian nodded, "Are you willing to do that?" Draco turned away from him and paced towards the bed, before suddenly spinning back around and pinning Hadrian with hard grey eyes.

"Very well," he acceded, "I will play along until we return upstairs, but I reserve the right to try and change your mind." Hadrian met his gaze and nodded once.

"As long as you don't use the Allure or any other type of magic to convince me," he said, "We have an agreement?"

"Yes," Draco replied, crossing back over to stand in front of Hadrian he extended his hand, careful not to pass the doorframe lest he get shocked again, "Shall we?"

Warily Hadrian reached through the doorway, placing his hand in Draco's; the blond's long fingers closed around his tightly and with a quick tug he was pulled into Draco's room. Unprepared for the tug on his hand Hadrian lost his balance and stumbled into the Veela; Draco took this opportunity to wrap one arm around Hadrian's waist and he placed his other hand under his mates chin, tilting his head back so that he could capture Hadrian's lips in a bruising kiss. Caught by surprise, Hadrian allowed Draco to ravish his mouth for a few moments before gathering his strength and pushing the other boy away; Draco let him go, but recaptured his hand.

"That's enough Draco," Hadrian tried to sound firm, but he was breathless from the kiss, "Let's go."

"Of course," Draco smirked, retaining possession of the brunet's hand even when Hadrian tried to pull away, "Mother and Father will be waiting for us, as will Severus and Tom, I'm sure. Come along Arden; time for breakfast. Mother said she would make sure the house elves know to bring food for Arden as well," Draco said conversationally as he led Hadrian downstairs, Arden walking on his other side; "After breakfast I want to go to the library and see what books we have on dragons."

"That reminds me," Hadrian tilted his head to look at Draco, "I thought that it was illegal to keep dragons as pets."

"Only full-size dragons," Draco told him, "It's not illegal to have a miniature dragon, as long as you aren't keeping it against its will. And it is very difficult to keep a dragon against its will-even a baby dragon, or a miniature baby dragon, will make its displeasure known and can cause a lot of damage. If Arden had not decided that he likes me he would have either bonded to someone else-most likely you, since he allowed you to purchase him-or we would have had to return him to the store. Since he has accepted both of us, he will be loyal and protect us against all danger."

As they walked, Draco released Hadrian's hand and placed an arm around his waist instead, feeling pleased when his mate didn't move away. For the rest of the walk the boys continued to discuss Arden, and dragons in general; both Malfoy's were already at the table, and after breakfast they discussed what the boys could expect for the rest of the summer.

"Monday I will be going to the ministry to make our fosterage of Hadrian legal," Narcissa informed them, "Hadrian will have to come with me; since he is sixteen he will have to sign the paperwork himself, which means you will be coming as well, right Draco?"

"Of course," Draco nodded.

"Wonderful," Narcissa smiled, "Afterwards we will apply to get Hadrian re-sorted at the beginning of the year, and we can apply to make changes to your classes if needed as well. The story we put around last night about "Harry" wanting to go by a new name will also make it possible for him to actually go by his true name at school as well, and Dumbledore should not suspect anything."

"Once you get back from the ministry you will both need to complete your summer work," Lucius continued, "We expect you to have it finished by the end of the week so that Severus and I can check it; this will give you plenty of time to make any corrections necessary. You will have from the time breakfast ends until lunch to do your schoolwork every day. After lunch you will have a few hours to yourself until tea time, after which you will have lessons with one of us; Severus will work with you further on potions, Occlumency and Legilimency, as well as performing non-verbal spells. Tom will go over Dark Arts-both defensive and offensive magic- and I will go over fencing. Narcissa will work with you on wizarding history and charms, and Tom and I both will help you with practical matters, such as learning how to manage your family accounts. Any questions?"

"Is this every day?" Draco demanded, "Or will we at least get the weekends off?"

"If you do well during the week then you will have your weekends free," Lucius replied, "and you will have more time to yourselves once you complete your schoolwork."

"Draco gets very irritable when we are around other people too much," Hadrian spoke up, "I know we have a lot to learn, but it might be a good idea if we have more than a few hours a day to ourselves; I swear he was about to hex Blaise and Theo last night while we were talking."

"I didn't like the way they were looking at you," Draco said sullenly.

"We will try the schedule our way first," Narcissa said, "and if need be we can always change it. Now, what are you boys planning to do today?"

"I was going to start on my schoolwork," Hadrian replied, "Then probably go through my trunk and maybe send Neville and Luna a letter. Draco was going to get some books on dragons so that we can learn more about Arden."

"We were also considering starting on that potions journal translation," Draco added, "We'll probably stay in our rooms today."

"I would rather you did not stay cooped up inside all day," Narcissa frowned, "You should go flying after lunch."

"Perhaps we shall," Draco said noncommittally, "What do you think Hades? We didn't go outside at all yesterday."

"Mmm, maybe," Hadrian replied, "If nothing else we can always have lunch outside. Is Tom coming by today? I was hoping we could talk; we haven't had much of a chance since I got here."

"I believe he will be here for dinner," Lucius told him, "He is spending the day meeting with various Death Eater's; he cannot make radical changes overnight, so he is working on slowly changing the way things work, and shifting the Death Eater's focus away from you onto Dumbledore. I will send him an owl to let him know you want to talk to him."

"It doesn't have to be today," Hadrian said quickly, not wanting to seem immature or needy, "I know making changes with the Death Eater's is important, so just whenever he has the time."

"Of course," Lucius gave him a warm smile, "I will let him know. I must be off now; Severus and I are going to work on the rune translations. Severus and I will return in time for dinner; I will have my family mirror on hand if you need to contact me Cissa."

"Very well," Narcissa smiled, tilting her head to accept the brush of lips against her cheek, "I will walk you to the floo. If you boys need me just ask one of the house elves; I should be around the manor all day. Try not to work too hard." The boys stood as Narcissa and Lucius left the dining room, and then Draco turned to the brunet.

"Still mad at me?" he asked.

"I don't know," Hadrian met his gaze steadily, "Do you still think you were in the right?"

"I am going to the library," Draco replied, picking Arden up and settling the dragon around his shoulders, "If you need help getting back to our rooms you'll have to ask Tillie."

"That's what I thought," Hadrian shook his head, "You know where to find me." Hadrian turned and left the room without another word, leaving Draco to stare after him for a moment.

"Fine," Draco said to Arden, "If he wants to be that way, I don't care. I didn't do anything wrong." He turned his head and glared as the dragon let out a soft snort. "What do you know about it?" the blond demanded, "You weren't even there. Ow! What was that for?" Arden had thumped him on the shoulder with his tail, "Fine; I don't want to discuss this anymore. Let's go to the library; I'll start a fire for you." Arden gave a happy little chirrup that had Draco smiling as he headed for the library.

Once Hadrian left the dining room he immediately headed for his and Draco's rooms, and was surprised when he found them easily without having to call Tillie for help. Hadrian pulled out his schoolbooks with a sigh, but he was determined to do something productive; he really wanted to look through the box he had taken from Vernon's study, but he decided he would rather do it with Draco at his side, and the parseltongue translation would be more difficult without Draco to copy everything down, so that left his homework. He decided to take care of Defense first as that was always his best subject, and he would save potions for later…that was something else he would rather have Draco's help with.

The Defense homework only took Hadrian an hour to complete, and he decided to move on to Transfiguration, as he knew that would be more difficult but still something he could handle without help. The homework was definitely more difficult than it had been in previous years, and Hadrian was thoroughly engrossed in it when he heard a faint tapping sound coming from Draco's room. Getting up from his desk Hadrian crossed into the other bedroom and grinned when he saw the twins owl, which they had named Loki; the owl dropped the package on Draco's bed and then flew over to the desk, looking at Hadrian expectantly.

"Yes, yes, I know," Hadrian shook his head as he walked over to the desk and opened the top drawer, where he knew Draco kept some owl treats; "There you are Loki." Loki hooted in appreciation as he ate the treats and then flew out the window, using the downdraft from his wings to scatter Draco's papers all over the floor. Hadrian glared after the owl before sighing and kneeling down to pick up the papers; Draco would be pissed if he came back to such a mess, and Hadrian didn't want there to be any further problems between them.

Once the mess was cleaned up Hadrian picked the package up off the bed and frowned when he saw that it was addressed to Draco-perhaps it was a late birthday present? With a shrug he dropped the package again and walked back to his room, but when he sat down to his homework again he found himself unable to concentrate. It was odd; for near to six years he and Draco had been enemies, constantly at odds with one another and it never bothered him, but now…just a few hours of having Draco upset at him made it difficult for Hadrian to concentrate on anything else. Why couldn't the blond understand where Hadrian was coming from? Draco had no right to be so angry when he was the one in the wrong.

With a sigh Hadrian closed his school books and walked over to the bed, only to flop down on it. Maybe he should truly forgive Draco for his actions…but no, he couldn't, not until the blond apologized and meant it. Hadrian let out a yawn and rolled over on his side, closing his eyes. Why was he always so tired lately? Must be the stress of dealing with Draco twenty-four seven. Hadrian decided he would take a short nap, and maybe when he woke up he would be able to concentrate on his school work; maybe by the time he awoke Draco would be ready to apologize…

DHDHDHDHDHDH

After spending half an hour in the library Draco had found several books relating to miniature dragons-and one that dealt specifically with French Sentinels-but he hadn't even managed to read one full page because his mind kept going back to one thing, or person, rather-Hadrian. It bothered Draco that his mate-he made a face at the word; it sounded so…primitive-was angry with him simply for exercising his rights as a dominant. This thought brought another frown to the blond's face-what was he, some uncouth caveman? Yes, his instincts had prompted him to act as he had with the spell last night, but he was more wizard than Veela, wasn't he? Why should his Veela instincts dictate his actions?

Not that Draco believed he was in the wrong, mind you; after all, Hadrian had been the one allowing that slut Pansy to hang all over him. Draco scowled at the memory; if Hadrian had simply pushed her away none of this would have ever happened, so it was really the other boy's fault, and he had no reason to take it out on Draco. The blond nodded once to himself and turned back to the open book in front of him, but he felt a niggling of doubt. It really didn't make any sense for Hadrian to flirt with Pansy, unless he was hoping the blond would maim the girl…but Hadrian simply wasn't that vindictive.

Draco let out a soft sigh, and received a soft chirrup in reply; looking over his shoulder he saw Arden standing on the back of one of the chairs, his head tilted inquisitively.

"I don't know what to do about Hadrian," Draco informed the curious dragonling, "He feels that I over stepped my bounds, but I was in the right as his mate. Wasn't I?" Arden let out a soft huff and jumped off the chair, using his tiny wings to glide over to the table; his wings weren't very strong yet, however, and he landed with his back legs hanging off the edge.

"Really Arden?" Draco chuckled as he helped the dragon onto the table. Arden huffed in reply, blowing a small puff of steam at the blond before sitting up on his hind legs and tilting his head so that Draco was looking at the shining jewel in the center of his forehead. Draco looked down at it confused, but then he noticed small images moving inside the gem and focused his attention. Without warning the images grew larger and Draco was drawn into what he soon realized was a memory of the previous night.

Draco watched Arden's memories of what happened, and realized that the little dragon had been keeping a close eye on his mate for him. He saw Hadrian talking to the three Slytherin's, and watched as the brunet side-stepped Pansy's first attempt to touch him; he then saw Pansy continue flirting with Hadrian, and watched as the boy tried to move away from her, only for the Slytherin girl to latch onto him with a death grip. He then saw himself storm over to the group, and watched as Hadrian finally pried the Slytherin girl off him and ran to intercept Draco before summoning Tillie to bring them to their room.

It was at this point that the memory ended and Draco found himself sitting in the chair in the library once again, but he clearly remembered what happened next; he seduced Hadrian and used the brunet's need against him so that he could bind Hadrian to him. Not good, Draco realized; in the old days he could be severely punished for using any type of binding spell on his mate before the mate's sixteenth birthday. If Tom ever found out he would likely hold Draco under the Cruciatus for several minutes; he shuddered at the thought.

"Okay, so I suppose I _was _in the wrong," Draco admitted to Arden, meeting the dragon's sapphire eyes, "Now what should I do about it? The spell is permanent, so I obviously can't remove it. I don't want to simply apologize to Hadrian, and I doubt he would appreciate flowers."

He sat in silent contemplation for a moment before his eyes lit up; "I know! I can go torture those abusive Muggles and then show him the memory!" Arden let out a hiss, causing Draco to frown again. "No, I suppose you're right; Hadrian likely would not appreciate me torturing the Muggles, even if they _do _deserve it. But what then?" Arden gave Draco a look that plainly said he was an idiot before jumping off the table and gliding to the floor; the little dragon trotted over to one of the bookcases and climbed up three or four shelves before coming to a stop and chirruping at Draco.

Curious the blond got to his feet to see what Arden had found, and discovered it was a book titled "Being a Proper Veela: Keeping Your Mate Happy and Healthy." It was co-written by Laurent Lovegood and his wife, Cassiopeia Black, who was one of Draco's relatives. The book was written from the Veela-Laurent's-point of view, with input from his mate Cassiopeia, and there was a note in the introduction stating that there was another volume of the book written specifically for the mate, which Draco suspected Hadrian had been reading earlier.

Draco took the book from the shelf and-after settling Arden around his shoulders, sat in an armchair in front of the fire to read. There was a lot of interesting information in there; one thing he learned was that if the mate was not a Veela he-or she-would not have Veela instincts until after they came of age, unless they were with their Veela when the Veela came into their inheritance, the way Hadrian had been with him. The book said that once a mate's instincts began to awaken they would be more susceptible to the Allure, and that some of their behaviors would change. The words Hadrian had used earlier were a ritual that ensured the mate could not be punished for going against the wishes of their Veela, and the only way the Veela would be forgiven was if he offered a sincere apology for whatever wrong was committed. Gifts were not necessary, and could even make things worse as the mate could view it as a bribe.

"Well then," Draco said several minutes later, "No gifts I suppose; guess that means I should go apologize. I hope he truly does forgive me; I hate not being near him." Arden nuzzled his neck affectionately and Draco couldn't help but smile as he stood up, tucking the book under his arm and leaving the library to go find his mate.

After breakfast Narcissa went to her private study-she and Lucius each had their own study for when they needed to work without distraction-and warded the door against visitors; only her personal house elf would be able to get in. Once the door was warded she looked around the room and smiled in contentment; this was the only room in the entire manor that she had decorated purely for her own satisfaction, and she always enjoyed coming in here. When decorating the rest of the manor she always tried to take in to account what the other people using the room might like, but this room was all hers. Instead of the dark, rich colors found in most of the manor Narcissa decorated her study in icy blues and lilacs, with the walls a soft neutral grey to tie it together.

The furniture was made of white ash with delicate scrollwork on the edges of the desk and bookcases, the desk chair had a soft blue cushion, and the two armchairs and the loveseat were a silvery grey with ice blue and lilac pillows. The desk was in front of a window looking down upon her favorite garden, with a mirror-spell woven into the glass so that-even with her back to the room-she could see anyone who entered. On top of the desk was a collage-style photo frame with pictures of her wedding to Lucius, a picture of a two-year-old Draco, another of Narcissa and her two sisters at Andromeda's Hogwarts Graduation-Bella was just nineteen, Andromeda seventeen, and Narcissa was sixteen. There were other photographs decorating the shelves, and on the walls she had a portrait of her mother, which was currently empty, another of Rowena Ravenclaw-a relative on her mother's side of the family-and a set of silver curtains firmly drawn with a locking spell on them. The closed curtains were on the wall next to her desk, and she cancelled the locking spell as she sat down in the chair; it was with disappointment that Narcissa saw the decorative silver frame was empty, but she knew that the inhabitants would come back eventually-there couldn't be too many other portraits of them around.

With a soft sigh Narcissa turned her attention to one of the bookcases, and a quick summoning spell brought down a small box wrapped in protective spells. The box was made of ebony and rowan fused together by magic set with carnelian and tiger's eyes-stones known to have protective properties. Narcissa stroked the lid gently with her fingertips and felt the soft hum of protective magic; it wouldn't hurt her, of course, as she was the one who had woven the spells. After simply looking at the box for several moments Narcissa cancelled the protections on it and slowly lifted the lid.

Like many other items in the wizarding world, the inside of the box was bigger than it appeared. The box contained many items from her past and Draco's childhood-a memory book she made before going to Hogwarts, a lock of hair from Draco's first haircut and the first tooth he lost, letters from when Lucius was courting her and-way down at the bottom of the box-there was another, smaller box. She lifted it out and carefully set the silver box in front of her, hesitating a moment before opening it.

This box was an item she had forgotten about until a couple of days ago-until Hadrian had come into their lives and Severus had given them all back their true memories. A few months before they had been caught in Dumbledore's devastating trap, Narcissa, Lily, Elena, Alice, Bella and Selyna-Selyna Lovegood neé Lefae-had met here, in this very room, to hold a secret conference. The six women all feared that the headmaster was up to something terrible, and they felt that they should safeguard their memories and secrets in preparation for the worst. The box contained memories and heirlooms from all six families, as well as letters from each of the women to their offspring. Narcissa had been selected to keep everything safe, and so she had placed it in the warded box and hidden it in her study. After that horrible night in the Great Hall she had completely forgotten about the box, and never paid it any attention even when she did open the ebony chest.

Now, Narcissa opened the box and carefully sifted through the contents, smiling wistfully as she set aside photographs of the children playing together, until she came to the stack of letters at the bottom. There was one she had written to Draco-thankfully unnecessary-Selyna's letter for Luna, Elena's letter for Hadrian and Arianna, which she was undecided about giving to Hadrian, as Elena was not yet lost to them, Lily's letter which she would have the boys pass on to Ginny, Bella's letter to give to her daughter Helena, and two letters from Alice-one for Neville and the other for Augusta. Narcissa's smile turned triumphant as she located the letter addressed to Augusta; Lucius and Tom would likely be upset at her for not consulting them, but she was not about to ask their permission for every little thing she did, and this could best be settled between her and Augusta. Narcissa placed the letter on top of a silver tray on the corner of her desk and nodded in satisfaction when the letter vanished, before turning back to the silver box.

"The years we missed," she said softly, looking at a picture of the children. The photograph showed Hadrian, Arianna and Draco taking turns throwing toys at the protective bubble around the play area, trying to find a weakness, while Helena-a few months older than the other children-scolded them, and Neville smiled happily, eagerly passing the three trouble-makers new toys to throw. Off to the side a bit Lillian and Luna slept soundly, not in the least disturbed by all the commotion. The picture ended with the children managing to make a hole in the ward; Hadrian and Draco raced for it and reached it at the same time, smiling triumphantly before the hole sealed and they were magically-and gently-transported back to where Neville sat laughing at them.

Narcissa set the picture down with a scowl; if only Dumbledore hadn't appeared their children could have grown up together happily. Instead, all the children grew up with false memories, Hadrian grew up with abusive Muggles who kept him ignorant of his true place in life, and Helena-Hermione-and Lillian-Ginny- were taken from their rightful families. All of their lives were disrupted by that meddlesome fool, and Narcissa made a promise to herself-

"He will pay for what he has done," Narcissa was startled to hear her own thoughts spoken out loud and raised startled eyes to the portrait beside her desk, which was no longer empty.

"Lilly! James!" Narcissa smiled, "I feel terrible that you have been isolated all this time-"

"It isn't your fault Cissa," Lily interrupted firmly, "We both know who's to blame, don't we James?"

"Of course," James agreed with a scowl, "It's that idiot Dumbledore; he manipulated all of us, and destroyed so many lives…Did you know the manipulative bastard had our portrait painted and hung in his office? He thought that he could get us to spy on our friends and family."

"Not very bright, not matter what his opinion of himself is," Lily snorted, "Like we would do anything to help the man who organized our death."

"To be fair, he probably thought that the memory charms he cast before your deaths would still be in place," Narcissa said calmly, "Dumbledore never did spend much time studying subjects that had to do with death; he always felt himself above such nonsense. I must say I am glad to finally have my memories back, and young Hadrian is finally safe with us."

"Yes," Lily scowled, "Once he realized he couldn't manipulate us Dumbledore taunted us with information about what he did to the children; about a year after our deaths he couldn't take the guilt anymore, so he removed his memories and promptly forgot about us. Tell us, Cissa; how is our daughter? Is she being treated well?"

"She is being raised by the Weasley's," Narcissa replied, "They spoil her, as she is their only daughter, but Hadrian said she does not truly fit in with the family; she is a bit more wild than Molly would like."

"Of course she is," James smirked, "She is a Potter after all." The three old friends shared a smile, and then James became more solemn; "Cissa-can you tell us what your plans are now that you have your memories back?"

"Lucius, Severus and Tom are planning most of it," Narcissa began, "However I will be glad to tell you what I know, and get your input. When Lucius and Severus return this evening you can speak to them as well." Narcissa settled more comfortably in her seat and prepared to bring her friends up to date on current events, glad that she was able to speak to them again, even if they were technically just memories…

**AN: No real note this time; I have a lot going on in RL so I can't promise regular updates, but I will do the best I can. Hope you enjoyed it! Thank you to all my reviewers! **


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